Tomar is a city full of history, mystery, and beauty, a true gem in the heart of Portugal. With its rich Templar heritage, captivating architecture, and charming streets, Tomar promises a unique and unforgettable experience for its visitors.
First years
Tomar was the last Templar town to be commissioned for construction. The city was founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, a famous knight in the Templar order, and was later transformed into one of the most important centers of the order.
Guadim Pais was a Portuguese crusader, Templar friar and knight of the firts Portuguese King, D. Afonso Henriques, who ordered him as a Knight in the battle of Ourique (1139).
Gualdim Pais spent five years in Palestine, where he served as a Knight of the Order of the Temple, having participated in the siege of the city of Gaza. Upon his return, he was ordained the fourth Grand Master of the Order in Portugal in 1157. After a brief period in the villa of Soure, he founded the castle of Tomar which became the headquarters of the Templars in Portugal, and gave charter to the new town of Tomar in the year 1162. He also founded the castles of Almourol, Idanha, Ceres, Monsanto and Pombal.
The good times
The Templars managed the region of Tomar and surrounding areas through a system of fortified strongholds, strategic alliances and agricultural development. From the Castle of Tomar, the Templars administered their vast land and conducted military operations. They also promoted agricultural advancements, such as introducing new crops and irrigation techniques and contributed to make region more productive and more prosper. Additionally, they forged alliances with local nobility and monarchs, ensuring political stability and support for their endeavors.
The origins of the occupation of the Amourol Castle 20 km from Tomar are very ancient and enigmatic. In 1129, it was conquered by the Christian troops of D. Afonso Henriques to the Muslims. Back then, the ruins of a Roman fortress already existed here, named Almorolan. Between 1169 and 1171, taking advantage of these remains, the castle was built by the order of the master of the Order of the Temple, Gualdim Pais It served not only for territorial protection, but to control the traffic of goods that went up and down the Tagus River.
But… the fate of the Templars was about to change…
The end of the Templars… (but not really)
The dissolution of the Order of the Knights Templar was a very complex and controversial event, shocking for the time. The order was extremely powerful and wealthy and faced increasing scrutiny and pressure from different sectors of medieval society. French King Philip the Fair owed a substantial debt to the Knights Templar, and this was cited for years as one of his reasons for going against the Order. In 1307, the king ordered the arrest and trial of several Knights Templar.
On the morning of Friday, October 13th, hundreds of Templars in France were simultaneously arrested by agents of the King, to be later tortured into admitting heresy to the Order. The Templars supposedly only had to answer to the Pope, but Philip used his influence over Pope Clement V, who was largely his pawn, to dissolve the organization. That same day, at sunset, on a small island in the Seine, Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Temple, and Geoffroi de Charney, Preceptor of Normandy, were slowly burned to death.
Just over a month later, Pope Clement V died of illness and eight months later Philip IV, aged forty-six, died in a hunting accident. This gave rise to the legend that de Molay had placed a curse on them both, which became popular among the French population.
The Templars were accused of heresy, blasphemy and other crimes, often based on dubious or fabricated evidence, and financial corruption and political intrigue. Across Europe, many Knights were tortured and forced to confess to false accusations. Many Templar leaders were executed at the stakes of the Inquisition, while others were imprisoned or forced into exile.
The Knights Templar Burned in the Presence of Philip the Fair and His Courtiers
Ca 1413-1415. Artist: Boucicaut Master.
Illuminated manuscript. Collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
A new Portuguese Order is born: The Order of Christ
Unlike many other European countries, Portugal provided refuge to the Templars. King Dinis of Portugal was very appreciative of the Templars, of their military expertise and resources, and sought to integrate them into Portuguese society.
Thus, after the extinction of the Order of the Temple, authorized by Pope Clement V, King D. Dinis made an agreement with the king of Castile, to prevent the assets of the Templar Order from being given to outsiders from the respective kingdoms. In 1318, D. Dinis ordered negotiations in Rome to create a new order that would serve him and help him defend the kingdom. In 1319, Pope John XX founded the Order of Christ.
D. Dinis entrusted the negotiation in Rome to the knight Lourenço and the canon of Coimbra, Pedro Pires. Once the Papal Bull was promulgated, D. Dinis began an intense documentary activity to carry out your projects. In the Torre do Tombo (National Archives of Portugal) many documents are kept, such as the public form of the translation of the bull, the letter from D. Dinis ordering its execution, the letter dismissing Gil Martins do Outeiro, then master of Avis , of these votes for him to be the Grand Master of the new Order, among many others.
In the same year, the Portuguese King reorganized properties and personnel of the Templars in Portugal and endorsed them to the Order of Christ (Ordem de Cristo). This new order inherited the assets, lands and privileges of the Templars in Portugal, as the Castle and Convent of Tomar. The Order of Christ continued the military and religious traditions of the Templars while adapting to the changing political and religious landscape.
The Age of Discovery
The Templars were huge travellers and they possessed very important knowledge and skills that were kept in the minds of their Knights and in their books and documents kept in Tomar. This knowledge transitioned then to the Order of Christ. It was not a coincidence that the Prince Henry The Navigator, promotor of the Age of Maritime Discovers by the Portuguese, was himself the Grand Master of the Order of the Christ, from 1420 to 1460.
Portrait of Henry the Navigator, or maybe not…
Cover of the Chronicles of the Deeds of Guinea (Paris codex), with the phrase “talent de bien faire (“will to do good”), the motto of Prince Henry. This engraving is wrongly attributed to Henry, the Navigator, since the analyzes point out that the page where it is inserted does not belong to the manuscript. An investigation from 1998 argued that this portrait is actually that of his brother, D. Duarte, King of Portugal. Another investigation, identifies it as the portrait of his other brother, the Prince D. Pedro. It is a curious situation, because this image attributed to the Navigator was the one that gave rise to all the commemorative representations of Infante Dom Henrique that can be found in Portugal (and there are many), like the one in Tomar, at the entrance to Mata dos Sete Montes.
The Order of Christ was instrumental in Portugal’s maritime expansion and exploration efforts during the Age of Discovery, proved invaluable to the Age of Discovery and Portugal’s maritime endeavors. Its members participated in the adventures of maritime expeditions and overseas exploration. The Order of Christ also maintained control over the Convent of Christ in Tomar, which served as its headquarters and a symbol of its heritage.
Torre do Tombo, Order of Christ and Convent of Tomar, book. 234.
The book of the Tombo of the Order of Christ, richly illuminated, is a good sign of how the Order of Christ has prospered since its creation by King D. Dinis in 1319.
Templars Monuments in Tomar
If you liked this bite of Templar history, come and visit Tomar and its region to see the places where all this happened.
- The Templar Castle of Tomar
- The statue of Founder of Tomar, the Great Master of the Order in 1160, in front of the City Hall
- The Church of Santa Maria do Olival, first pantheon of the Templars in Tomar
- The Convent of Christ (UNESCO World Heritage Site), with many interesting parts, such as the Charola (Rotonda), Cloisters, Refectory, Dormitory, the Palace of Henry the Navigator, and the very famous Manueline Window.
- Castle of Almourol in the Tagus River
Tomar is beautiful
In addition to its Templar history and its intriguing mysteries, Tomar is a city of undeniable beauty. Its streets are very charming, with traditional houses and Portuguese pavement made of cobblestones. The Nabão River, the old Jewish quarter and the parks of Mata dos Sete Montes or Mouchão provide a peaceful and charming escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Come along!
