PORTUGAL TOURS
INDEX:
COIMBRA
History
MAIN MONUMENTS
Old cathedral
University
Conimbriga
TOMAR
History
Legend of saint Iria (Irene)
Templars (Knight Templars)
MONASTERY OF CHRIST
Castle
Monastery
Church
Entrance (Portal)
Interior
Cloisters
Gothic cloister, Henry the navigator cloister or cemetery cloister
Cloister of Ablutions or washing cloister:
Cloister of John III, of Philippe or Great cloister:
Ravens cloister
Wadding cloister
Saint Barbara cloister
Window of the Chapter House
Cloister of the Hostellery
AQUEDUCT
TRAYS FESTIVAL
ALMOUROL CASTLE
EVORA
HISTORY
CULTURE
HANDICRAFT
THE CITY AND MAIN MONUMENTS
Roman Temple
University of the Holy Ghost
Cathedral
St Francis church
COIMBRA (80.000 inhabitants)
HISTORY
At the top of a hill, in the north bank of the Mondego River, it was a strategic place already inhabited by Neolithic and proto-historical people.
It was an important stop of the highway built by the Romans that united Lisbon and Braga. The Romans called it Aeminium and, a few kilometres from the south bank, there was a Roman city called Conimbriga.
Then Sueves, Alans and Visigoths came latter.
The Arabs were here for more than one century. In 878 was conquered by king Alphonse III of Leon (Spain). But Conimbriga was constantly castigated by Arab attacks and its inhabitants abandoned Conimbriga and moved to Aeminium, which took the name Coimbra.
The Arab invasions of Almansour completely devastated Coimbra in 987, and it was rebuilt by the Arabs themselves in 994.
In 1064 was reconquered by Fernando Magno of Castile and Leon.
In 1094, count Henry, the father of the first king of Portugal, made it the heart of the military action against the Arab invasion. Until being replaced by Lisbon in 1255, Coimbra had been the headquarters of the Portuguese Court and for that the capital of Portugal.
In 1537, the University is settled in Coimbra and since then, it dominates the city’s life. Since 1546 the mayor is always a University’s Professor, so nothing may bother the University.
MAIN MONUMENTS
Old cathedral
Built from 1140 to 1175 by French architects, it was restored in subsequent centuries, with alterations in Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles.
University
At the top of the hill, from where one can see a nice panorama over Mondego river. A visit to the library must be paid. It was ordered by king John V in the XVIII century, with a rich decoration in gilt woodwork.
Conimbriga
60 km away from Coimbra, the ruins of old Roman city called Conimbriga are among the best of the Iberian Peninsula.
TOMAR
Population: 15.000 inhabitants.
Industries: located a few miles from Tomar, near the river: paper mills (founded by M. of Pombal) and cotton mills. Paper mills are 2 centuries old and marked the beginning of industrialization in Portugal.
History
Tomar is an Arab word meaning fresh water. The Arabs were here 400 years and that was the name given to the river that flows through the town. The name of the river is now Nabão, a roman word because Romans were also here.
Legend of saint Iria (Irene)
Irene was a beautiful girl of the 17th century who decided to become a nun. Her parents entrusted her education to a monk, Remigio.
Britaldo, the son of Tomar governor fell in love with her. But the girl told him she could not marry him because she wanted to be a nun and the man became ill.
In the meanwhile the monk in charge of her education started making her dishonest proposals. The girl refused his proposals and in revenge Remigio made her drink a mixture that made her look pregnant.
When Britaldo saw her he thought he had been deceived and decided to take revenge too. One of his servants stabbed Irene and threw her body to Tagus River. The body was carried to Scalabis where, by miracle, she appeared inside a marble tomb. The name of Scalabis was changed to saint Irene (Santarem).
Templars (Knight Templars)
Associated with the reconquest from Arabs and maritime discoveries.
It was created in Jerusalem in 1118 by a knight, Hugues de Payns, to defend it and to protect the pilgrims that went there (to the Holy Land). They were called "the Poor Knights of Christ" and followed the rules of the Augustinians. Their first temple was a palace near the Royal Temple of Solomon (placed in the center of 3 religions: Christianity, Islamism and Judaism), the Royal Temple (today el Aksa mosque). The Templars had the intention to unite the West and the East. In 1128 the order is recognised and Saint Bernard wrote their rules, rules of chastity, poverty and austerity (if a knight was found dead with money on his pocket he would be buried without any religious services). One of the rules was that they were responsible only to the Pope, not to any political authority. Kings had no power over them. The obligation of poverty applied only to personal property. They wore white with a red cross, which became a symbol of aid to the suffering (still today). They gained a reputation for ferocity in battle. His motto was: "Do your duty come what may". The first 300 volunteers were all dead in five years.
After the first few years this initiative was no longer held. They became bankers. They had a kind of international bank, which gave them a tremendous financial power. They also had a strong real estate power. They built castles and often became friends with the Arabs, trading with them. They became rich and unpopular. The spirit of sacrifice was succeeded by greediness. They controlled a fourth of Paris.
In Portugal, where they arrived in 1128, they had headquarters in Braga. They also had Soure castle, Cera castle and then they built Tomar castle (Gualdim Pais, master of them, founded this cattle). Later, was also given to them Pombal and Almourol castle. Lands were given to them by A. Henry in Beira Baixa. Alphonse Henry also promised them a third of all the territory that could be conquered beyond the Tagus River. Alphonse II gave them Castelo Branco castle. They helped in reconquering Portugal from the Arabs till they were extinguished in France in 1312.
They became very rich and very powerful. Philip the Fair of France (1285 - 1314) owed them lots of money. He persecuted them and abolished them in 1310 (they were accused to make a pact with the devil getting to the Moslems side, to the Arabs side. Some of them were burned to dead together with their leader, Morlay). 2 thirds of their fortune went to the French crown and the rest to the order of Hospitallers, the first designation of Malta knights.
In Portugal king Denis transformed them in the order of Christ, in 1321. Their headquarters were at Castro Marim, in the Algarve. In 1338 the headquarters were transferred to Tomar. They helped in Aljubarrota battle. Henry, the navigator, was their leader. Their treasure came from Paris to Portugal (to Tomar, they say) in secret and it was with that wealth that the Portuguese trips were financed (that's what the legend tells).
In 1523 John III transformed the Military Order of the Knights of Christ into a religious order.
In 1834 they were suppressed.
MONASTERY OF CHRIST
Castle
Founded in 1160. At the same time, the first monastic constructions were made to house the first knights. Today it's reduced to some irregular, erratic walls with some towers. We get inside through a rebuilt door and we can notice, further to the right, the remains of the ancient "Alcaçova".
On the walls we still see symbols brought from the Middle East and magic symbols of the alchemists. Wherever the Templars were they left the same symbols (like in Our Lady of Paris and St Mary of the Olive Grove). These symbols were adopted again in the 18th century by the free-masonry and people say they were the continuation of the Templars as a secret organization).
Inside the walls many constructions from different periods can be seen, erected by the Templars (Knight Templars), and the Knights of the Order of Christ.
Prince Henry was one of the governors of this order as well as king Manuel (who restored the castle) as well as all the kings after him.
Monastery
John III added parts to the church and founded the Monastery.
It started as a castle. Its ruins can still be seen today.
It is said to be the last stronghold of the Templars and it was here that they hid their tremendous treasure.
It is the biggest Monastery in Portugal. It is a museum of Portuguese architecture and sculpture from the 12th to the 17th century (the rise and fall of Portugal). It represents 5 centuries of the history of Portugal: we can see styles like Romanesque Byzantine, gothic-flamboyant, manueline, renaissance, and barroque.
Church
This is one of the better, if not the best well-preserved, well-kept, temples of the Knight Templars. The others in Navarra, Vera Cruz de Segovia and even in France are not so good. Even the temple in Jerusalem is now much deformed. This church is a replica of Omar mosque in Jerusalem (we can see Syrian and Palestinian influences in the paintings and gold groundwork.
The original part is from the 12th century.
Entrance (Portal)
Made by John Castillo who signed his work with a date: 1515 (right-hand side, bottom). It’s more plateresque than manueline (reminds Salamanca). The statues are perhaps not his work. Perhaps from his brother, Diogo or perhaps from Chanterenne.
Interior
Octagonal chapel (it used to be a polygon with 16 sides, following a Byzantine plan from the 4th century). This rotunda dates from 12th century. It's octagonal like all the constructions of the knight Templars, repeating the style of Jerusalem. King Manuel had it painted but it still preserves the golden appearance common in Byzantine constructions.
To marry Isabel, king Manuel, then the administrator of the Order of Christ had to ask the permission from the Pope to abolish the rule of celibacy for all the knights (and for him in particular). Before that, he had a meeting with the knights here. And for that meeting he made some improvements in the church: he asked Juan de Castillo to make the big chapel on the place where one of the 8 chapels of the deambulatory used to exist (with the traditional west orientation). All around the rotunda are paintings from the 16th century (Christ’s resurrection has 16th century Lisbon as background; Lazare resurrection shows a man stopping, obstructing his nose), statues also from the 16th century (the 4 wooden statues inside the chapel are: Our Lady, St Jerome, St. Dominique and a Pieta (it's not really a Pieta says Christine... it's a part of an altar piece and represents Our Lady and saint John). Chapel of the 12th century.
Upper choir: to big and to low.
On one side a pulpit imitated through a trompe d'oeil painting on the other.
There is a deambulatory which used to have chapels from where the knights heard mass on horseback before leaving for the battle. Near this deambulatory we can see a curious object, similar to an organ pipe: it was used as a loudspeaker.
Large cylinder for better acoustics (a loudspeaker).
Cloisters
As we leave the church we find a number of cloisters and corridors that may be confusing to the visitor.
Gothic cloister, Henry the navigator cloister or cemetery cloister: it dates from the 15th century and it was a cemetery when it was constructed. It has mudejar (hispano-arab) tiles around the flowerbeds. 2 tombs of the 16th century: Diogo da Gama (Grand Master of the Order, brother of Vasco da Gama) and B. Faria (he introduced the Inquisition in Portugal). Small room housing a museum dedicated to the overseas colonies.
An opening gives on to the Cloister of Ablutions or washing cloister: the first cloister in Portugal to be built in two superimposed galleries. It's in ruins. Its name comes from the six big bathing tubs where monks used to bath. The lower gallery has roman stones on display.
Cloister of John III, of Philippe or Great cloister: the most artistic one. Built by Juan de Castillo, Diogo de Torralva and finished by Philippe Terzi. The cloister is renaissance but it dates from the same period of the window. It is here that we can see the manueline window of the chapter house (it is not here, it's in saint Barbara cloister, but probably we can see it from here).
The barroque fountain in the middle dates from the XVII th century and symbolizes the conclusion of the work of the aqueduct built to supply Tomar with water.
The refectory is a vast hall from 1536. The corridor between the cells is interesting.
It is in this cloister that we can see the south façade of the church (are the buttresses said to be on each side of the window, actually here, on each side of this manueline façade).
It was here that Philippe II of Spain was crowned king of Portugal.
Other cloisters built by John III: of Saint Barbara, of the Hostellery, of Micha, of the Ravens, of the Necessities (near the toilets).
Ravens cloister
The lower gallery connects with the storerooms and shops. The upper gallery connects with the library, dining room and dormitories, bedrooms.
Wadding cloister
It served the kitchen, office and storerooms. There is a large cistern, well.
Saint Barbara cloister
In face of the famous window. That's why it’s small to not disturb the beauty of it.
Window of the Chapter House: (ropes, figure of a sailor underneath, corals, palm-trees (which pilgrims could see in the middle of the desert showing the place where water could be found), root of an oak-tree whose wood was used to make boats, salt-pans, cork lifebuoys a dog and a cat (animals that went with sailors as mascots on the boats), artichokes, armillary spheres, cross of Christ, salt-pans on the upper part, etc) built by Diogo de Arruda in 1510.
The window is like the symbol of the new world versus the old world (manueline versus renaissance. After influencing Europe, Europe influenced Portugal). The symbol of Portugal that after creating an enormous empire was to succumb, victim of its own effort (Phillip II of Spain was crowned king of Portugal here. Not exactly in this cloister but in John III cloister): all this composition is on the shoulders of a single man (a Portuguese, a protagonist of all the effort of the discoveries who didn't get any profits!) who looks like being crushed by the weight of the window.
The rose window of this window has also a symbol: a sail of a galleon. The window is flanked by two buttresses (here or in the south façade of the church in John III cloister) representing the symbols of the order of Garther (with a sculpted buckle) and of the Golden Fleece. We can see 3 buttresses, which end with a cross of Christ. The buttresses in the angles, common to the south, north and west façades are the strongest ones. To disguise their thickness they were overcharged with decoration. Right buttress (Golden Fleece): it is decorated with the symbol of the "Golden Fleece" (Toison d'or) created by Phillip the Good of France when he married Isabel, daughter of John I. We can also see it represents striped cork trees and an Indian dragon. Left buttress (order of Garter: created by Edward III of England, grandfather of Felipa of Lancaster. John I was the first foreign king to receive this badge): It is represented here by a strap and a buckle. The motto was: "Honni soit qui mal y pense" after a gossip in the court. It also has the statues of Denis in armour, John II and king Manuel with a beard.
Cloister of the Hostellery
We can see here the characteristics of Juan de Castillo style.
AQUEDUCT
5 km long, 180 arches. Finishes in the cistern that supplies water to the fountain in John III cloister. Built during the reign of the Phillips of Spain (1593 - 1614) and was made by Philippe Teri and Pedro Fernandes. One of the more elegant aqueducts in Portugal.
TRAYS’ FESTIVAL
In the main square, in front of the Town Hall, takes place the final ceremony of the most famous festivity in Tomar.
Held every odd year, because in even years the government subsidy goes to Coimbra Festivities in honour of the Holy Queen.
This festivities in Tomar take place on Whit Sunday (Pentecost, 6 weeks after Easter Sunday, the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles) in homage to the Brotherhood of the Holy Ghost founded by queen saint Isabel at the same time her husband king Denis founded the Order of Christ.
It is basically a pre-harvest festival. It is a procession with 500 girls wearing white (symbol of virginity but no all of them are virgins, some are married, because it would be to difficult to find so many virgins nowadays), carrying trays with blessed bread (and meat, wine, etc) topped by the cross of Christ. The girls are escorted by men who only helped them at the end to lift the trays before blessing. They are 1.200 people included in the procession. Music bands go along. Three ox-carts take place in the procession carrying bread, wine and meat.
ALMOUROL CASTLE
Built on an island of Tagus river, in front of Zezere confluence, on the place of a roman village. Built in 1171 for Gualdim Pais and his knights.
There is a legend: one of the knights returning from his conquests, saw two Arab women, mother and daughter. He asked them water to drink. One of them, shaking with fear, dropped her pitcher and it broke. The knight killed both of them. Then appeared a little Arab boy, son and brother of the girls, and he was taken prisoner. He decided to take revenge: to kill the wife and daughter of the knight. But he fell in love with the daughter and ran away with the girl. It is said that in Saint John's night they both appear embracing each other, at the top of the castle, begging forgivingness from the knight.
EVORA
-40.000 inhabitants, Capital of Upper Alentejo, 300 metres high, extremely hot in the summer and has an intense cold weather in the winter. It is dependent of hot south winds and cold north winds.
-We find marble and granite in this region. Evora district is the richest in marble quarries in Portugal (as well as gilt wood in religious monuments).
-Centre of agricultural area: cattle, cork (the most important cork trees region in the world), olives, cereals.
-The whitewashed houses gave the city the name of white city.
-The walls were first started by Alphonse IV and finished by Peter I, Ferdinand I, Peter II and John IV.
-Evora has more than 30 churches and 23 convents.
-Called the "town museum". It was declared worldwide patrimony.
HISTORY
-The date of its foundation is unknown.
-It was important under the Lusitanians, Romans, Goths and moors. Because of its central position it has always been a strategic military point. Arabs, Spaniards and French had to pass by Evora to reach Lisbon.
-The Romans made it a town called Liberalitas Julia. It had power to mint its own money. The temple and a part of the fortifications is all we've got from them.
-The Visigoths were here.
-The Arabs called it Yeborath, building walls, castle and mosque.
-Gerald, the Fearless, conquered the city from the Arabs in 1165 (he was called the Portuguese El Cid. With a small army he had to use a trick: during the night, some of the soldiers, screaming and fighting, called the attention of the Arabs to one side of the town, while the majority of the army could easily penetrate the town from the other side and then dominating them).
-Ferdinand I came here with Leonor Teles. Most of the aristocracy against Leonor left the city. The future king John I, illegitimate son of Peter I, stayed. He had the approval of the common people and that didn't please the queen. He was sent to prison and sentenced to death. But they found out that the sentence didn't come from the king and he was saved. After Ferdinand's death, the people of Evora, standing for John I, fought the members of the queen. One of those members was an abbess, caught in the cathedral and dragged outside to Geraldo square were she was lynched and decapitated.
-The bravery of the people of Evora is shown in the battle of Tangier (although it was lost).
-It was in the end of the 15th century that Evora reached its zenith with Alphonse V and John II. Walls with more than 40 towers were built as well as the churches of St Blaise, St Francis, St Lois and St Claire.
-Here in Evora started the fight between John II and the aristocracy when he wanted to reduce the privileges of the aristocracy. Some were decapitated in Geraldo Square. The 3rd duke of Braganza family, Ferdinand, who had fought in Africa, came into conflict with John II. He was decapitated in Evora in 1483.
-In the XVI Th century, when Portugal reached its zenith in arts and letters, a large number of writers, painters, sculptors lived in Evora, making Evora a cultural centre.
-John III was called the king of Evora. He brought to Evora the Jesuits (just borne), the Inquisition (just borne).
-Evora was attacked by Philippe IV and the Napoleon troops. Took part in the fights between liberalists and absolutists.
-The decline of Evora came with the abolition of religious orders.
CULTURE
-As was said, Evora was the dwelling place of artists in the 16th century: poets, Portuguese and foreign artists, preachers, etc.
HANDICRAFT
-Cork, ceramics, rustic furniture.
THE CITY AND MAIN MONUMENTS
Roman Temple
-Built in the 2nd or 3rd century by the Romans.
-Traditionally called temple of Diana. But we don't know to who it was dedicated.
-Corinthian style columns. Marble bases and capitals. Granite shaft.
-In the 5th century was destroyed by the barbarians.
-In the Middle Ages was used as an armoury deposit (the spaces between columns were walled up) and a slaughterhouse.
-Restored in 1871.
University of the Holy Ghost
-Built from 1551 to 59 by cardinal Henry when he was archbishop of Evora as a school ran by the Jesuits.
-In 1559 the Pope promoted the school to the rank of University.
-John V helped this University but marquis of Pombal closed it when he expelled the Jesuits in 1759.
-It is now a Grammar school.
-Refectory (in the renaissance cloister): it has blue and white tiles which change to an infinite variety of colours according to light reflections and the angle at which one looks at them.
-Adjoining the University there is the church of the Holy Ghost (also 16th century) with gilt woodwork and tiles (17th and 18th centuries).
Cathedral
-The biggest in Portugal (70 metres long). The last of the 12th century cathedrals.
-Built on the place of the acropolis of the town, facing the old roman road. From the rooftop we can see a marvellous view.
-Built from 1186 to 1204 under the 2nd king of Portugal, Sancho I in Romanesque-gothic style.
-Façade: two robust towers like in a castle. Portal with 14th century figures of the Apostles is considered to be one of the best of medieval decoration (they seen to be talking to each other).
-Interior: It has many alterations, restoration work and additions.
The last part to be constructed was the chancel in the 18th century.
It has 3 naves, a triforium, a crossing and a 5 chapel apse. The crossing is toped by a beautiful eight-side lantern tower.
The neo-classic main-chapel was made by a German, Ludwig. It has multi-coloured marble from Alentejo (Estremoz and Vila Viçosa), Sintra and Italy (Carrara). There is a large image of Christ in cedar wood made by a Portuguese (M. Dias).
Transept with renaissance chapels (the left one made by Chanterenne).
In the middle of the central nave, on the left side, there is a gilt woodwork altar with a 15th century gothic statue of Our Lady of Conception or Our Lady of the O. Women come here with their god-daughters to ask Our Lady to make the god-daughters as fertile as she was (or perhaps a little more since there is so few people in Alentejo !). Our Lady of the O was abolished in the 16th century by "Concilio de Trento".
-Cloister: the most important 14th century gothic cloister in Portugal. Several tombs. St Peter chapel: 14th century Sarcophagus of the founder, Bishop Peter IV with sculptures (St Peter, Virgin and Child, Virgin of O).
St Francis church
-Alphonse V (conqueror of Alcacer Ceguer, Arzila and Tanger), during a civil war against his uncle (Peter), settled in the 13th century Monastery that used to exist here and had a royal palace built in the Monastery.
-The church was built by John II (his son got married here) where the 13th century monastery used to exist.
-Façade: anthropomorphic gargoyles.
-Interior: 36 metres long, 13 m wide, 24 m. high (very high).
No lateral naves but 5 chapels on each side.
High altar by P. Trillo, a Spaniard, made during Manuel I. Altar in marble and paintings by Flemish masters.
Transept: left: paintings of the Holy Sacrament and Calvary (1580). right: chapter house with 19th century glazed tiles depicting the story of the Calvary and image of Our Lady of pain with six knives thrust into her heart. From here we get to:
-Chapel of Bones: built in 1629 with the bones of 5.000 people that came from the convents of Evora !! It’s bristly! Above the entrance there is a sign, which says, "We bones that are here are waiting for yours".