These are some corridors at the Convent of Christ in the City of Tomar, which as I mentioned before is one of the most significant historical and artistic monuments in Portugal, and that’s the reason it has been listed in 1983 in the UNESCO World heritage. Walking in this corridors you can almost feel the past and the way the Templars and Knights of the Order of Christ used to live.
This a corridor close to one of the cloisters at the Convent of Christ in Tomar
Another corridor at Christ's Convent in Tomar, decorated in Gothic style
Corridor in the Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo) in the City of Tomar. This is combination of a convent and a castle
The Convent of Christ in terms of architectural styles is a mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance but the Manueline style which is a specific Portuguese architectural style based on late Gothic is the dominant one. The convent of Christ was built in the 12th century and was a stronghold of the Templars. Later the Convent of the Knights Templar became the Convent of Christ, taking the name of the new order formed in the 14th century.
Photos shot inside the Convent of Christ in Tomar. This is one of the most prestigious monuments of Portugal
The Convent of Christ of Tomar in the City of Tomar in Portugal was included in the World Heritage list of UNESCO in 1983.
The style used in this magnificent monument in Tomar, was called Manueline, which a Portuguese architectural style based on late Gothic. It incorporates maritime elements of the maritime voyages of Portuguese navigators like Vasco da Game and Pedro Alvares Cabral
When I re-visited the convent of Christ in Tomar in 2010, I didn’t take notes of was I was photographing, but in this case I captured the plaque near the Cloister of the Cemetery (Claustro do Cemitério) shown in these photos and this was what I got: “Built by the Architect Fernão Gonçalves when the Infante D. Henrique (Prince Henry) was Governor and Administrator of the Order of Christ (1420-1460), it was remodeled at the beginning of the 17th century (Filipian period). It served as ground for religious processions and burial of the friar knights. The arcosolia (arcosolium) built in this cloister houses the tombs of Diogo da Gama (died in 1523), Baltazar de Faria (died in 1584) and Pedro Àlvares Seco de Freitas (died in 1599)”.
This the Cemetery Cloister (Claustro do Cemitério) at the Convent of Christ in Tomar. This Gothic cloister was a burial site for the knights and monks of the Order of Christ
The Cloister of the Cemetery is surrounded by elegant columns decorated with beautiful Manueline motifs and the corridors around it are adorned with 16th century tiles
It was here at the Cloister of the Cemetery at the Convent of Christ, that some knights and friars were buried, among them Diogo da Gama, the brother of the famous Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama
The Convent of Christ in the City of Tomar has eight cloisters. When I took photos of the convent I didn’t take notes of which was which, but after some research I found out that these photos below show us the cloister of the King of Portugal John III (D. João III), which was built, just like all the others, in the 15th and 16th centuries. Though this cloister started during the reign of the King D. João III, it was completed by Philip I, when Portugal lost its independence to Spain for 60 years.
This is the Cloister of D. João III (King John III) of Portugal, started by this Portuguese monarch, but it finished by the Phillip II of Spain after Portugal lost its independence
The Cloister of King John III of Portugal was started by the architect Diogo de Torralva in 1557 and completed by Filippo Terzi. In the centre of the cloister there is a fountain
Another view of the Cloister of D. João III in the Convent of Christ in Tomar, which gives us an impressive display of the Manueline architecture, inspired in the Portuguese maritime adventures
These photos are still outside the Convent of Christ in the City of Tomar and still focused on the Round Church (Charola), but now I wanted to give the visitors of this photoblog, a better view of the outdoors garden. Though these photos don’t show everything in the garden, there are very nice benches all around you, where you can have a rest and relax, while enjoying the outside views of this historical Convent in Tomar and Castle of the Templars.
Charola, also known as the Round Church at the Convent of Christ in Tomar, seen from a shadowed corner of the gardens outside the convent
Even from outside, in the middle of the gardens of the Convent of Christ in Tomar, you can feel the past of this magnificent UNESCO listed monument
Another view of a more dense area of the gardens of the Convent of Christ of Tomar. At some distance is the Round Church and on the right a partial view of a few battlements of the castle
In previous photos the Round Church in Tomar or Charola as it is widely known, appeared at a certain distance. I took those photos from the garden outside the Convent of Christ but I also wanted to show this magnificent monument at a close range. So in the first and second photos you can see the staircase that leads to the entrance of the Charola, and on the third it is still the Round Church but from another angle and already inside one of the cloisters, which as you may know, is a courtyard inside a convent or monastery.
This is the Round Church or Charola in the City of tomar in Portugal, photographed from a close range. This church is thought to be similar to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
Close up of the Round Church (Charola) built in Tomar by the Knights Templar in the 12th century. You can see the staircase the leads to the main door of the church
Charola shot from inside one of the cloisters in the Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal
In these photos below you can see the garden of the Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo) in the City of Tomar, Portugal, as well as the Charola also known as Round Church. The Charola was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century and it is said to be modeled in the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. However the paintings and some statues decorating the Charola are from the 16th century. As you can see, these photos are from the outside of the Round Church but when you get inside, you’ll notice that the Charola is not exactly round but octagonal, supported by eight pillars. As I go along building this site, I will publish more photos of this magnificent historical church, especially from the inside.
I was a beautiful day when I visited the Convent of Christ and the Castle of Tomar. In the distance you can see the Charola, also known as Round Church
The Charola or Round Church in the City of Tomar in Portugal, was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century, modeled in the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
This is a close up of the Charola in Convent of Christ in Tomar. Inside it is octagonal supported by eight pillars
When I went to Senhora da Conceicao chapel in Tomar, I shot a few pictures of the Convent of Order of Christ from a certain distance. The convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo) was built after the Castle of Tomar, which was given to the Order of the Knights Templar. Later the Templars turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ. The castle and the convent ended up being important for the Portuguese maritime discoveries of the 15th century.
Photo of the Convent of Christ, shot when I was heading to Senhora da Conceicao chapel in Tomar
Convent of the Order of Christ near the Castle of Tomar
Close up photo of the Convent of Christ in the City of Tomar in Portugal