Casa Rosden holiday hideaway in central Portugal

TOMAR

First on the list of places to visit in Tomar, Central Portugal has be be the the Knights’ Templar castle which dominates the skyline over the city, containing one of the country’s most significant and impressive monuments, the Convent of Christ. TOMAR, also known in English as Thomar, stands on the banks of the Nabão River.

The Convento de Cristo Castle in TOMAR is just a 10minute drive from Casa Rosden and can in fact be seen in the distance from the poolside terrace, which overlooks the city.

It was built by  Gualdim Pais, the Master of the Order of the Knight’s Templar in 1160 and later in the Century it was chosen as the headquarters of the Portuguese Templars.  The Castle in Tomar was built as part of the Templar defense system  to secure the border of the Christian kingdom against the ‘Moors of Iberia’

The famous round church ( rotunda ) of the castle of Tomar was also built in the second half of the 12th century. The church, like some other Templar churches throughout Europe, was modelled on the ‘Dome of the Rock’ in Jerusalem.

By 1314, the Templars had made many enemies, leading to their suppression by the pope.In 1319 however King Dinis, allowed the Templar members, to regroup under the new name of “Order of Christ”. The Order of Christ moved into  their headquarters in Tomar in 1357.

‘Henry the Navigator’ became the most famous of the order’s grand masters, using much of their wealth to fund his explorations. In Tomar, he ordered the construction of various cloisters and a Gothic nave to added to the ’round church’ that had been built in the early days.

Manuel I became Grand Master of the Order of Christ in 1484 and the King of Portugal in 1492. From 1510, the king ordered the rebuilding of Henry’s Gothic nave in the style of the time, a highly decorative mix of Late Gothic and Renaissance that would later become known as the ’Manueline style‘.

The finest example of Manueline stonework of the Convent of Christ is the west window, referred to as the ‘Window of the Chapter House’ ( Janela do Capítulo).

The successor of Manuel I, King João III, demilitarised the Order of Christ and made it a fully religious order.

In 1581, the Portuguese nobility officially recognised Philip II of Spain ( Philip I of Portugal) as their king. This is the begining of the ‘Iberian Union’ when Portugal and Spain were united. The aqueduct of the Convent was built during this Spanish reign.

In 1983, the Convent of Christ was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on the basis that it “represents a significant artistic achievement” - especially for its Manueline decoration.

TOMAR , a busy little market town, was built in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, the fourth master of the order of the Temple (Knights Templars). Today TOMAR  has train and Bus stations, a large General Hospital, several health centres, and a Municipal Sports Centre with an indoor swimming pool. There are also several Banks, numerous cafe bars and restaurants, shops, art galleries, hotels, post offices, pharmacies and several schools.  It also has a University which is situated on the outskirts of the town.

The main pedestrian street in TOMAR, is called the ‘Rua Serpa Pinto’ or ‘Corredor’. This street, leads to the Gothic Church of São João Baptista, on the Praça da República, and has a stunning view  of the castle above. In the summer many tourists and locals can be found at one of the pavement cafés enjoying a coffee and watching the world go by! Visit the Antiques market held  along this street on the 2nd Sunday of each month from 10am.

The town’s elegant main square, known as the ‘Praca De Repuplica’ is surrounded by 17th-century buildings. The Gothic Church of São João Baptista ( church of St. John The Baptist ), built in 1490, has an Manueline doorway and inside are famous paintings, including a Last Supper by Gregório Lopes, one of the finest of Portugal’s 16th century artists.

The Templar Cross is etched into the cobbles of the pavements here and the ‘tourist train’  which is run by Tomar Council can also be found here. For a couple of euros will make it’s way through the narrow cobbled streets, taking a tour past several Historical monuments before returning to its starting point on  the ‘Praca Da Repuplica’

The Templar Grand Master Gualdim Pais, who founded TOMAR, in 1162, also stands in the centre of the square.

He died in 1195 age 77 and his body was interred in the Igreja de Santa Maria do Olival in Tomar. His original tombstone, with inscription can still be seen in the church today. There is also a separate Bell tower on this site and the main facade of the church has a beautiful Rose window Rose windows which is a particular characteristic of Gothic Architecture.