"Tomar - Templar Castle and Convent of... " a Tomar Travel Page by Branco

(I go to Tomar almost every month now: its a magic place!)
Tomar is an beautiful town situated in a large and beautiful valley on the banks of the River Nabão in the centre of Portugal.
Its medieval streets and abundance of ancient monuments link it closely to the Knights Templar and one of the most important chapters of Portuguese history.
The Order of the Templars was founded in 1119 after the recapture of Santarém. In 1160, their Great Master, Gualdim Pais, built the Castle of Tomar on a hill near the river. After the suppression of the order in 1314, King Dinis then founded a new order - the Order of Christ - that was transferred to Tomar in 1356. This helped finance Prince Henry the Navigator's voyages of discovery in the 14th and 15th centuries, during which his ships bore the Order's red cross on their sails.
Tomar's main attraction is the Convent of Christ, built over a period of 600 years from the 12th to the 17th centuries. This impressive structure comprises 7 cloisters, a temple, a church and a huge bell tower. Also beautiful to see are, down the hill, the church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (built between 1530 and 1550), the Gothic late-15th century church of São João Baptista, located on the town's main square and the small Jewish museum housed in a 15th-century synagogue.