Convento da Ordem de Cristo, Tomar

Floor plan of the heart of the monastery. Image under GFDL.

The Convento de Cristo is a splendid example of Manueline architecture.
Click for a larger view and see many more photos in our Photo Gallery.

The 12th-century Charola. Photo by Mick L.

The splendid interior of the Charola. Photo by Nuno Castro.

Entrance to the church with carved portal. Photo by Nuno Castro.

Church portal, c.1530. Photo by Mick L.

Plate commemorating defeat of Abu Yusuf al-Mansur. Photo by Mick L.

Saint Barbara's Cloister, built in the 16th century. Photo by cybermat

The old chapter house. Photo by cybermat.

Claustro de D. João III (Main Cloister). Photo by Nuno Castro.

Chapter house outside the cafe. Photo by Mick L.

Tomb of Diogo da Gama, brother of Vasco. Photo by Mick L.

Built in 1160 along the most hotly contested Muslim-Christian border in Iberia, the Convento da Ordem de Cristo (Convent of the Order of Christ) in Tomar was built as a monastic fortress and a symbol of the Reconquest. Successive building programs lasted half a millennium, ultimately creating a museum of diverse architectural styles.

History

From its inception in 1160, the Convent of the Order of Christ experienced five centuries of inspired builders, including King Manuel I.

The castle of the Knights Templar of Tomar was built by Gualdim Pais, provincial Master of the Order of the Temple, around 1160. Later that century, the castle was chosen as the headquarters of the Portuguese Templars.

The Tomar castle was part of the defense system created by the Templars to secure the border of the young Christian kingdom against the Moors. According to Christian chroniclers, in 1190 the castle of Tomar resisted the attacks of caliph Abu Yusuf al-Mansur, who had previously taken other Portuguese strongholds to the South. (A plate near the entrance of the nave commemorates the feat.)

The round church (rotunda or charola) of the castle of Tomar was also built around this time and is Romanesque in style. The Order of the Knights Templar was suppressed throughout most of Europe in 1312. In Portugal, however, its members, assets, and partly its vocation were transmitted to the Order of Christ, created in 1319 by King Dinis. The Order of Christ moved to Tomar in 1357, which became its headquarters.

One of the most important Grand Masters of the Order was Prince Henry the Navigator, who ruled the order from 1417 to his death in 1460. Prince Henry gave great impulse to the pioneering Portuguese expeditions during the Age of Exploration.

In the convent, Prince Henry ordered the construction of various cloisters and a Gothic nave was added to the round church. He also sponsored urban improvements in the town of Tomar itself.

King Manuel I became Master of the Order the Christ in 1484 and King of Portugal in 1492. Manuel oversaw several important improvements additions to the Convento, most notably the addition of a new nave onto the round church and the decoration of the latter's interior with paintings and sculptures.

From 1510, King Manuel I ordered the rebuilding of Henry the Navigator's Gothic nave in the style of the time, which was a highly decorative mix of Late Gothic and Renaissance that would come to be called Manueline style. The architects involved were the Portuguese Diogo de Arruda and the Spaniard João de Castilho.

The successor of Manuel I, King João (John) III, demilitarised the Order of Christ and made it a religious order with a rule based on that of Bernard of Clairvaux. He also ordered the construction of a new cloister in 1557, which is one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in Portugal.

In 1581, after a succession crisis, the Portuguese nobility gathered in the Convent of Christ in Tomar and officially recognised Philip II of Spain (Philip I of Portugal) as their king. This is the begining of the Iberian Union (1581-1640), during which the Kingdoms of Portugal and Spain were united. The aqueduct of the Convent was built during the Spanish reign.

In 1810, Napoléon's overzealous troops turned the Convento de Cristo into a barracks. The damage the French troops inflicted is still evident. Nevertheless, what remains on the top of the hill is one of Portugal's most brilliant architectural accomplishments.

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 and is "directly and tangibly associated with events or with ideas or beliefs of outstanding universal significance" in that it came to symbolize the opening of Portugal to other civilizations.

What to See

The church portal, in the Manueline style (designed by João de Castilho around 1530), depicts everything from leaves to prophets to chubby cherubs.

To the right is the 12th-century charola or rotunda, with strong buttresses, round windows and a bell-tower. Like all Templar round churches, its shape was modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Dome of the Rock (mistakenly believed to be part of the Temple of Solomon) in Jerusalem.

Inside, the charola is opulently decorated with paintings and sculptures. Eight Romanesque columns create an arched ambulatory. The capitals depict vegetal and animal motifs, as well as a Daniel in the Lions' Den scene. The style of the capitals shows the influence of artists working on the Cathedral of Coimbra, which was being built at the same time as the round church.

The Manueline sculpture and paintings were added during a renovation sponsored by King Manuel I starting in 1499. The pillars of the central octagon and the walls of the ambulatory bear polychromed statues of saints and angels under exuberant Late Gothic canopies (attributed to Flemish sculptor Olivier de Gand and the Spaniard Hernán Muñoz).

The walls and ceilings of the ambulatory are painted with Late Gothic patterns and panels depicting the life of Christ (attributed to the court painter of Manuel I, the Portuguese Jorge Afonso).

The overall mosque-like effect of the Templar charola links Christian and Muslim cultures and western and eastern styles, as in the Mezquita de Córdoba, Spain or Aachen Cathedral, Germany. The author Howard La Fay called the round church of Tomar "a muted echo of Byzantium in scarlet and dull gold."

On the other side, to the left of the portal, is the 16th-century rectangular Manueline nave. It is covered with abundant Manueline motifs, including gargoyles, Gothic pinnacles, statues, and ropes of the type used in the ships during the Age of Discovery. Look also for the Cross of the Order of Christ (+) and the emblem of King Manuel I and of Portugal, the armillary sphere.

Perhaps the finest example of Manueline stonework at the Convent of Christ is the west window of the nave, called the Window of the Chapter House (Janela do Capítulo). The sheer quantity of the forms emanating from the window can be overwhelming, but a closer inspection reveals a meticulous symbolic and literal depiction of Portugal's sea lore and power.

Knots and ropes, mariners and the tools of their craft, silken sails wafting in stone and coral seascapes — all are delicately interwoven in this chef d'oeuvre of the whole movement. A human figure in the bottom of the window probably represents the designer, Diogo de Arruda.

Inside, a large arch connects the Romanesque round church to the Manueline nave. The nave interior is covered in beautiful ribbed vaulting and has a high choir that used to have Manueline choir stalls. Sadly, these were among the casualties of the invading Napoleonic troops in the early 19th century. Under the high choir is a room that used to be the sacristy of the church. Its window is the famous Chapter House Window described above.

The monastery's eight cloisters embrace a variety of styles. The most notable, a two-tiered structure dating from the 12th century, exhibits perfect symmetry, the almost severe academic use of the classical form that distinguishes the Palladian school. Other notable cloisters include:

Claustro de D. João III (Cloister of John III, or main cloister): Started under King John III of Portugal and finished during the reign of Philip I of Portugal (Philip II of Spain). The first architect was the Spaniard Diogo de Torralva, who began the building work in 1557, only finished in 1591 by Philip II's architect, the Italian Filipo Terzi. This magnificent, two-storey cloister connects the dormitory of the monks to the church, and is considered one of the most important examples of mannerist architecture in Portugal. The two levels are connected by four elegant helicoidal stairways, located at each corner of the cloisters.
Claustro da Lavagem (Washing Cloister): Two-storey Gothic cloister built around 1433 under Henry the Navigator. This is where the monks washed their robes.
Claustro do Cemitério (Cloister of the Cemetery): Also built under Henry the Navigator, this gothic cloister was the burial site for the knights and monks of the Order. The elegant twin columns of the arches have beautiful capitals with vegetal motifs, and the walls of the ambulatory are decorated with 16th-century tiles. In a manueline tomb (circa 1523) rests Diogo da Gama, brother of navigator Vasco da Gama.
Claustro de Santa Bárbara (Saint Barbara's Cloister): Built in the 16th century. The Chapter House Window and the West façade of the manueline nave of the church is visible from this cloister.

A guide will also take you on a brief tour of a dormitory where the monks lived in austere cells. A café within the Convento offers light snacks and drinks.

Quick Facts

Names:	Convento da Ordem de Cristo; Convent of the Order of Christ; Convent of the Knights of Christ
Type of site:	Christian monastery
Faith:	Roman Catholic (Templar order; later Order of Christ)
Date:	1160
Location:	Atop a hill overlooking the old town of Tomar, Portugal
Phone:	24/931-34-81
Hours:	Daily June-Sept 9am-6pm; Oct-May 9:15am-12:30pm and 2-5pm
Cost:	3€ ($3.45) adults, 1.50€ ($1.75) children 14-25, free for children under 14

Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of the Convento de Cristo. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Tomar Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Sources

Frommer's Portugal, 18th edition
Convent of the Order of Christ - Wikipedia, June 2006

Photo Gallery of the Convent of Christ - Sacred Destinations
Map of Convent of Knights of Christ - Planetware
Panoramic view inside the Charola - 360 Portugal
Convent of Christ in Tomar - UNESCO World Heritage List
Convent of Christ in Tomar - World Heritage Sites
Reviews of the Convent of Christ - TripAdvisor
Tomar Hotels - TripAdvisor