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38-464: A singular (enigmatic) building of Romanesque civic architecture, it is an eloquent extension of the medieval prison tower that it juxtaposes. Its construction was, most likely, in the first half of the 13th century, coinciding with the foundation of the cistern. In 1501, in the published writings of the Abbot of Baçal, the author referred to the local record of Martim Anes, who spoke of the construction of

76-620: A National Monument in 1910, by 1912, the building was in a state of degradation, without appropriate roof and used by squatters and the poor as shelter. Restoration of the building was completed in 1936 by the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (English: General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments ), or DGEMN (which evolved to become the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR) ). Similar restorations were undertaken in 1959 by

114-459: Is a general directorate of the Government of Portugal tasked with the conservation, preservation, and inventory of Portuguese architectural heritage. This includes buildings and sites of historical, architectural, scientific or artistic value. The institute keeps a registry of all the classified sites and issues legally binding opinions regarding any works on them. It was established after

152-501: Is constituted by two distinct spaces: the primitive cistern (documented after 1446), in order to store spring water; and a superior space that served as a gathering place for meetings of the "good men" of the community. It was in the first years of the 16th century that the municipalization of Bragança, from documents dated 1503. In many of the documents, the building is referred to as the Sala da Água (English: Hall of Water ). One of

190-400: Is covered by beautiful ribbed vaulting and has a high choir that used to have Manueline choir stalls, unfortunately destroyed by invading Napoleonic troops in the early 19th century. Under the high choir there is a room that used to be the sacristy of the church. Its window is the famous Chapter House Window already mentioned. The Convent of Christ has a total of eight cloisters , built in

228-1107: The Convent of Christ in Tomar , the Monastery of Batalha in Batalha , the Monastery of Alcobaça , the Jeronimos Monastery and Tower of Belém in Santa Maria de Belém , the National Pantheon in the Church of Santa Engrácia , the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra and the Archeological Park of the Côa Valley . With extinction of IGESPAR and IMC, on 29 December 2011, the DGPC began to assume

266-695: The Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) which had been active in the conservation and rehabilitation of the country's architectural treasures. Ministerial Order no.376 (20 March 2007) established its internal structure and statutes, while the Ministry of Culture's organic law established regional directorates (except in the Azores and Madeira, where cultural preservation programs were established under their respective Regional Secretaries). Archival material, that until then were held by

304-624: The Domus during his lifetime. In this account, Martin Anes stated that it was used as a meeting place for the "good men" of the municipality. By 1503, the Domus was remodelled to partition the hall into two divisions to formalize its use as municipal hall. Its designation, Domus Municipalis , actually dates back to the 19th century. Although the building was classified by the Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico (IPPAR) as

342-555: The Ministério da Cultura ( Ministry of Culture ), with responsibilities for the architectural and archaeological heritage. Its internal structure is laid out in Ministerial Order no.376, dating to 20 March 2007, whereupon the organization is divided into five individual services: At the same time, it is also responsible for managing the operations of several of the nation's more importance architectural sites, including:

380-566: The 12th century) and 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 interior of the round church is magnificently decorated with late gothic/manueline sculpture and paintings, added during a renovation sponsored by King Manuel I starting in 1499. The pillars of

418-505: The 15th century. The convent and castle complex are a historic and cultural monument and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. The castle was founded by the Order of Poor Knights of the Temple (or Templar Knights) in 1118. Its construction continued until the final part of the 12th century with the construction of the oratory, in one of the angles of the castle, completed by

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456-707: The Convent of Christ in Tomar and officially recognised Philip II of Spain (Philip I of Portugal) as King. This is the beginning of the Iberian Union (1581–1640), during which the Crowns of Portugal and Spain were united in a dynastic union . The aqueduct of the Convent was built during this period (aqueduct completed in 1614). The castle and Convent of Christ have examples of Romanesque , Gothic , Manueline and Renaissance architectural styles. The castle of Tomar

494-648: The DGEMN, were transferred to Instituto de Habitação e Reabilitação Urbana ( Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation ) of the Ministério do Ambiente ( Ministry of the Environment ), the department of Ordenamento do Território e do Desenvolvimento Regional ( Spatial Planning and Regional Development ), under the auspices of the SIPA - Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico ( Architectural Heritage Information System ) on 30 May 2007. IGESPAR inherited

532-795: The English king Henry VII ). The entrance of the church is done through a magnificent lateral portal, also decorated with abundant Manueline motifs and statues of the Virgin with the Child as well as the Prophets of the Old Testament. This portal was designed by João de Castilho c. 1530. In the interior, the Manueline nave is connected to the Romanesque round church by a large arch. The nave

570-562: The Grand Master D. Gualdim Pais (sometime around 1160). Around 1190 it was encircled and resisted the armies of caliph Abu Yusuf al-Mansur who was successful in taking strongholds in the south. (A plaque was erected near the entrance to the castle to commemorate this event). During the second quarter of the 13th century, Tomar was transferred into the control of the Templars, becoming its seat. The castle became an integral part of

608-592: The Order in 1484 and King of Portugal in 1495) ordered the construction of a sacristy (today the Hall of Passage), that connected the choir to the Chapel of São Jorge, linking the choir with the wall of the stronghouse. By the end of the century, the convent's General Chapter, decided to expand the convent (sometime around 1492), with 3,500 reis being spent on the public works in 1499: the chapterhouse, main altar, ironworks for

646-485: The Order of Christ initiated the construction of two cloisters under the direction of master Fernão Gonçalves: the Claustro do Cemitério ( Cemetery Cloister ) and Claustro das Lavagens ( Washing Cloister ). Prior to these large works, Henry began work on constructing the Chapel of São Jorge sometime in 1426 and was responsible for urban improvements in the town of Tomar. In 1484, King D. Manuel (who became Master of

684-621: The Serviços dos Monumentos Nacionais (English: National Monument Services ), before being taken over on 1 June 1992 by the IPPAR by decree 106F/92. Located in the Terreiro do Castelo alongside the Church of Santa Maria, the structure is based on a multi-level irregular pentagon , constructed of rounded granite blocks and held together by mortar , while covered by wooden roof tiles. The Domus

722-710: The Spaniard Hernán Muñoz . A magnificent panel depicting the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian , by Portuguese painter Gregório Lopes , was painted for the Round Church and now hangs in the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon . During the administration of Prince Henry the Navigator (first half of the 15th century), a gothic nave was added to the round church of the Convent, thus turning

760-462: The bottom of the window probably represents the designer, Diogo de Arruda. This window of the Convent constitutes one of the masterworks of Manueline decoration. Above is a smaller circular window and a balustrade. The façade is divided by two string courses of knotted ropes. The round angle buttresses are decorated with gigantic garters (alluding to investiture of Manuel I by the Order of the Garter by

798-524: The central octagon and the walls of the ambulatory have polychrome statues of saints and angels under exuberant Gothic canopies, while the walls and ceilings of the ambulatory are painted with Gothic patterns and panels depicting the life of Christ. The paintings are attributed to the workshop of the court painter of Manuel I, the Portuguese Jorge Afonso , while the sculptured decoration is attributed to Flemish sculptor Olivier de Gand and

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836-606: The church is a 16-side polygonal structure, with strong buttresses, round windows and a belltower. Inside, the round church has a central, octagonal structure, connected by arches to a surrounding gallery ( ambulatory ). The general shape of the church is modelled after similar round structures in Jerusalem : the Mosque of Omar and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . The capitals of the columns are still Romanesque (end of

874-585: The competencies and attributes of the two extinguished organs, namely: Convent of Christ The Convent of Christ ( Portuguese : Convento de Cristo/Mosteiro de Cristo ) is a former Catholic convent in Tomar , Portugal . Originally a 12th-century Templar stronghold , when the order was dissolved in the 14th century the Portuguese branch was turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ , that later supported Portugal's maritime discoveries of

912-544: The construction of the church's nave . The successor of Manuel I, King John III , demilitarised the order, turning it into a more 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

950-577: The defence system created by the Templars to secure the border of the young Christian Kingdom against the Moors , which at the time occupied the area to approximately the Tagus River . But, following the dissolution of the Templar Order, on 14 March 1319, and following the request of King Denis of Portugal , Pope John XXII instituted the Order of Christ . The seat of the former Knights Templar

988-411: The dissolution of the Templar Order, on 14 March 1319 (following the request of King Denis of Portugal ), Pope John XXII instituted the Order of Christ . The Templar order had been suppressed during most of Europe from 1312 to 1314, but in Portugal its members, assets, and partly its membership were transferred to the Order of Christ . The seat of the former Knights Templar was converted in 1357 into

1026-454: The initiatives of PRACE (which was a central administrative restructuring programme) and implemented by the Council of Ministers (Resolution No. 124, dated 4 August 2005), as decree 96/2007 (29 March 2007). IGESPAR resulted from a fusion of the Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico (IPPAR) and the Instituto Português de Arqueologia (IPA) , while integrating many of the functions of

1064-734: The institutions and preceded the Biblioteca Geral (BG) ( General Library ) and Biblioteca de Arqueologia (BA) ( Archaeological Library , which provided information on architectural and archaeological patrimony that was catalogued and available at physical locations and online. Until 2010, over 3000 properties within the territory were inventoried and classified by the institution, in addition 13 have been promoted to UNESCO World Heritage sites, 2000 to Imóveis de Interesse Público ( Properties of Public Interest ), 800 to status of Monumento Nacional ( National Monuments ) and 450 classified as municipal sites of public interest. In 2012, following

1102-641: The niche/archway, paintings and sculptures (for the same) and the choir were all expanded or remodelled. A new meeting of the Chapter to reform the Order, ordered by the King 1503, expropriated the old Vila de Dentro, within the walls and closed the Sun Gate and Almedina Gate . On 11 October 1504, Francisco Lopes was nominated as masterbuilder for the project, by King John III , receiving 8$ 000 reis annually and 120 reis for meals. By 1506, D. Manuel decided to order

1140-804: The ones used in the ships during the Age of Discovery , as well as the Cross of the Order of Christ and the emblem of King Manuel I, the armillary sphere . The so-called Window of the Chapter House ( Janela do Capítulo ), a huge window visible from the Saint Barbara Cloister in the Western façade of the nave, carries most of the typical Manueline motifs: the symbols of the Order of Christ and of Manuel I, and fantastic and unprecedented elaborations of ropes, corals and vegetal motifs. A human figure in

1178-515: The promulgation of a decree, the Direção–Geral do Patrimônio Cultural (DGCP) was instituted, through the fusing of the IGESPAR, the Instituto dos Museus e Conservação (IMC IP) ( Institute of Museums and Conservation ) and Direção Regional de Cultura de Lisboa o Vale do Tejo (DRCLVT) ( Lisboa e Vale do Tejo Regional Directorate of Culture ). DGPC is a Directorate-General, under the auspices of

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1216-632: The round church into a church apse . From 1510 onwards, King Manuel I ordered the rebuilding of the nave in the style of the time, a mix of late gothic and renaissance that would be called Manueline style by art historians. The architects involved were the Portuguese Diogo de Arruda and the Spaniard Juan de Castillo ( João de Castilho ). From the outside, the rectangular nave is covered by abundant Manueline motifs, including gargoyles, gothic pinnacles, statues and "ropes" that remind

1254-465: The round towers in the outer walls, which are more resistant to attacks than square towers. When the town was founded, most of its residents lived in dwellings located inside the protective outer walls of the castle. The Romanesque round church is a Catholic Church from the castle ( charola , rotunda ) was built in the second half of the 12th century by the Knights Templar. From the outside,

1292-477: The seat of this new order. As a result, at about the first half of the 15th century, work was completed to adapt the Templar oratory, introducing an open choir to the western niche, about half-way up the wall. What remains of this adaptation was the colonnade frame with interior arch. At the same time the main palace was constructed. During the internship of Prince Henry the Navigator as its leader (1417–1450),

1330-405: The shields has been identified to have been sculpted during the modern era. Carlos Alberto Ferreira de Almeida noted that the other medallions, the diamond-shaped openings and the organization of windows, date the structure the beginning of the 14th century, or end of the 13th century. Near one of the entrances is a bronze plaque used by the archaeologist Gomez Moreno to indicate his investigations in

1368-469: The structure. IPPAR The Direção-Geral do Património Cultural (DGPC) ( Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage ), formerly the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR) ( Institute for the Management of Architectural and Archaeological Heritage ) and Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico (IPPAR ( Portuguese Institute for Architectural Heritage ),

1406-521: Was built around 1160 on a strategic location, over a hill and near river Nabão. It has an outer defensive wall and a citadel ( alcáçova ) with a keep inside. The Keep, a central tower of residential and defensive functions, was introduced in Portugal by the Templars, and the one in Tomar is one of the oldest in the country. Another novelty introduced in Portugal by the Templars (learned from decades of experience in Normandy and Brittany and elsewhere) are

1444-619: Was converted in 1357 into the seat of this new order. 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 after the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem , which was believed by the crusaders to be a remnant of the Temple of Solomon . The Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem may also have served as model. Following

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