The Cloister of the Cemetery at the Convent of Christ in Tomar

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)”.

Cloister of the Cemetery at the Convent of Christ in the City of Tomar

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

 

Cemetery cloister at the Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal

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

 

Cemetery Cloister at the Convent of Christ in the City of Tomar in Portugal

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

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