Tomar, Portugal

The town of Tomar was established in 1159 on land granted to the Knights Templar by the first king of Portugal D. Afonso Henriques. At the time the Order was playing a crucial role in the reconquest of territory from the Muslims and in the formation of the new kingdom of Portugal.
By order of Grand Master Gualdim Pais, in 1160 a Castle and a Convent started being built. Tomar would eventually become the headquarters of the Order in Portugal and local legend says that the choice was for mystical reasons and by divine inspiration. Also in 1160, the construction of the church of Santa Maria do Olival was ordered. Grand Master Gualdim Pais, as well as other twenty knights, are buried there.
In 1312 King Philip the Fair ordered the arrest and execution of the Knights Templar in France. To keep the wealth of the Knights Templar in the country, King D. Dinis created the Order of Christ. He also persuaded the Pope to allow the fugitive Knights Templar to join the new Order.
In 1418 Henry the Navigator became the Grand Master and, through his leadership, the Order planned and financed the beginning of the Age of Discoveries, carrying out the 15th-century maritime explorations.
In 1492 the Jews were expelled from Spain and the town increased and prospered further with the arrival of the Jewish fugitives. Their experience was vital to the success of the trade routes with Africa. The original synagogue still stands. However, under pressure from the Kings of Spain, the Portuguese king D. Manuel I proclaimed that all the Jews in the kingdom should, after a short time, be proclaimed Christians. D. Manuel didn't want to lose the Jewish knowledge and capital and for several decades Jews were undisturbed as nominal Christians. All that came to an end with the establishment of the Inquisition which led thousands of Jews to flee the country. The town lost with the prosecution of its merchants and artisans.
With time the ancient Castle of Tomar and its Convent lost prominence as the Order of Christ also lost power and purpose. In 1834, with the extinction of religious orders in Portugal, the Castle and Convent were secularised. They were classified as National Monuments in 1907 and World Heritage, by UNESCO, in 1983.

How to get there: You can take the train from Lisbon or Oporto. Direct train from Lisbon takes under 2 hours and costs about €10, one way (Train timetable).
Convent of Christ
Praça da Republica
Synagogue of Tomar
Tomar Castle








Local: 2300 Tomar, Portugal

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