Convent of Christ (Tomar)

The Convento de Cristo ( Christ German monastery) in Tomar, Portugal, is a company established in 1162 by the Knights Templar former military monastery. Its core is still the old round church, which houses another octagonal building inside. Model for the construction was, as is proven by the number of combinations used, is clearly the Holy grave Rotunda in Jerusalem. The monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. After the dissolution of the Knights Templar in 1312 by Pope Clement V, it passed into the possession of the newly founded Order of the Knights of Christ in Portugal.

1159 received the Order of the Knights Templar from the first Portuguese king Dom Afonso Henriques, the area around Tomar, about 130 km north of Lisbon and 135 km south of Coimbra. Here, the light returning from the successful crusades knights should settle down and support the king in the Reconquista.

After the castle ( Castelo de Cera ) has lapsed, a new castle at strategically favorable location, they went to the river Rio Nabão erect. She lay on the road between the then capital of Coimbra and Santarém.

History

In the year 1160 was the construction of the castle ( Castelo de Tomar ) by the Grand Master of the Knights Templar Gualdim Pais started because he had realized that the knight's castle Ceras in the valley of Nabão River a fierce onslaught by the Arabs, whose attack he expected would not withstand. He gave the new castle on the mountain the name of the nearby Fluses Tomar. The Arab armies under Yusuf Abu Jakub could not take the castle.

1162 construction began for the cloister inside the castle. Under Henry the Navigator of the construction of a new cloister, the choir and the castle began. Within the castle walls there were probably late 13th century, a small community of female Templar called Santa Maria do Castelho.

1484 was the Grand Master and future Portuguese King Manuel I of the cloister and the Knights of Christ Church built. The architect was Diogo de Arruda. Under the reign of King Manuel ( 1495-1521 ) was the entire castle richly endowed, and the plant received its still existing form with the typical mix of Gothic, Baroque and Manueline styles.

From 1532 the fortified monastery was built by the architect João de Castilho and expanded. 1557 was the redesign by the architect Diego de Torralva. The completion of the monastery in its present form was done in 1591 by the architect Filipe Terzi. 1618 was the start of construction of Implementing Real, the Casa da Escada and the Sala dos Reis by Diogo Marques Lucas. From the 16th - 17th Century origin of the monastery with the monks' cells and a five-kilometer aqueduct.

Abbey

First, a Romanesque central building in the second half of the 12th century was built by Templars. From the outside, it is a 16- sided polygon with a strong face plant, round windows and bell tower. The interior forms an octagon, which is connected by arcs with the gallery. The floor plan is based on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The interior is richly decorated with Gothic and Manueline sculptures and paintings. The paintings are from the Studio of Court Painter Manuel I of Portugal Jorge Afonso, while the Flame Olivier de Gand and the Spaniard Hernán Muñoz created the sculptures. That at the time created for the church work " The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian" now hangs in the Lisbon Museum of Ancient Art (Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga ).

In the 15th century, Henry the Navigator was the central building a Romanesque Gothic nave added. The apse of the church was extended from the Romanesque building. As of 1510, the nave of the Portuguese architect Diogo de Arruda and the Spaniard João de Castilho was remodeled in the Manueline style. , The so-called " Janela do Capítulo " (Window of the Chapter House ) combines many typical motifs of the Manueline: the Cross of the Order of Christ, Rigging, coral and plant motifs.

As a side entrance to the church is a portal that is also richly decorated with Manueline motifs, a Virgin and Child with the Old Testament prophets.

The Manueline nave is connected by a large bow with the Romanesque apse. Formerly available Manueline choir was destroyed by Napoleonic troops in the early 19th century.

Cloisters

There are eight cloisters that were created between the 15th and the 16th century. Examples which may be mentioned here:

• Claustro because Lavagem: Two-storey Gothic cloister, dating back to 1433 Henry the Navigator.
• Claustro do Cemitério: were also created at the time of Henry. Here the knights and monks of the monastery were buried. Here lie among other things, a Manueline Tomb ( 1523 ) the bones of Diogo da Gama, Vasco da Gama's brother.
• Claustro de Santa Bárbara: During the 16th century, built in the Manueline style.
• Claustro dos Filipes: A two-storey cloister with magnificent baroque fountain. On the second floor is 1580, the Spanish King Philip II as King of Portugal have been crowned.
• Claustro de D. João III: Started under John III. and completed First designed by the Spanish architect Diogo de Torralva in 1557 under Philip I., the building designed by the architect Philip, the Italian Filippo Terzi was terminated. This two-storey cloister connects the dormitory with the church. He is one of the most important examples of Mannerism in Portugal. The floors are connected by elegant spiral staircases at the corners of the cloister.