Batalha Monastery 
West façade of the Dominican Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória, Batalha.
(Click to enlarge.) Many more photos in the Batalha Monastery Photo Gallery!
In 1385, the Portuguese king João I vowed that if his underequipped and outnumbered army defeated the invading Castilians at the Battle of Aljubarrota, he would commemorate his spiritual indebtedness to the Virgin Mary. The king was victorious, and the result was the independence of Portugal from Spain and the magnificent Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória (more commonly known as Batalha Monastery).
King João I gave the monastery to the Dominicans, and the splendid edifice was constructed over two centuries in splendid Gothic and Manueline style.
Batalha Monastery was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1983 because it commemorates an important historical event and "here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister."
What to See
The western portal, ornamented by a mass of Gothic sculpture of saints and other figures, is crowned by a stained-glass window of blue, mauve, and amber. This window is the largest in Portuguese Gothic architecture. All the monastery's windows are of exceptional beauty and, of course, best enjoyed on a sunny day. The windows were damaged over the centuries, but artisans have replaced them in their original 16th-century Manueline detail.
In the Founder's Chapel, João I and his English queen, Philippa of Lancaster (daughter of John of Gaunt), lie in peaceful repose, their hands entwined on their stone effigies beneath an exquisite octagonal lantern. Prince Henry the Navigator's tomb is near that of his parents. His fame eclipsed theirs even though he never sat on the throne. The Royal Cloisters reveal the beginnings of the nautically oriented Manueline architecture.
The magnificent Chapter House is a square chamber whose vaulting is an unparalleled example of the Gothic style, bare of supporting pillars.
Sentinels and the glow of an eternal flame guard the two tombs of Portugal's Unknown Soldiers from World War I. In one part of the quadrangle is the Unknown Soldiers Museum, which houses gifts to the fallen warriors from the people of Portugal and other countries. Beyond the crypt are the remains of the old wine cellars. You can visit the crypts daily from 9am to 5pm, but you might not want to unless you're a crypt aficionado. These consist of a series of dank and gloomy ancient tombs, but no notable treasures.
Stunning filigree designs ornament the coral-stone entrance to the seven Unfinished Chapels. The chapels, open to the sky, are part of one of the finest examples of the Manueline style, a true stone extravaganza. Construction was abandoned so workers for Manuel I could help build his monastery at Belém. The design was on an octagonal floor plan, from which radiate seven spaces for chapels that would be used to house the tombs of the first kings of the Avis dynasty, beginning with D. Duarte, lying hand-in-hand beside his wife, Leonor of Aragon (who signed her name with the title "sad queen" after her husband's death). In this rotunda stand the massive carved stone pillars that were meant to support the keystone of a vaulted ceiling that was never put in place. The magnificent portal by Mateus Fernandes is one of the masterpieces of Manueline architecture. On the upper floor of the rotunda is a beautiful Renaissance balcony.
Outside, in the forecourt, stands a heroic statue to Nuno Alvares, who fought with João I on the plains of Aljubarrota. It was unveiled in 1968.
See Pictures of Batalha Monastery for a virtual tour of this remarkable example of monastic architecture.
Quick Facts
| Location: | Praça Moozinho de Obuquerque, Batalha, Estramadura, Portugal (see Portugal map) |
| Contact: | 24/476-54-97 |
| Hours: | Daily Oct-Mar 9am-5pm; Apr-Sept 9am-6pm |
| Cost: | 3€, free for children under 14 |
| Tip: | The monastery is beautifully flood-lit at night, which should not be missed if you are staying nearby. |
Batalha is 118km (73 miles) N of Lisbon. Most visitors choose to stay in Fátima or Nazaré, which have more hotels and restaurants. However, there are places to sleep and eat in Batalha.
Sources
- Frommer's Portugal, 19th Edition
- Monastery of Batalha - Portuguese Tourist Office
- Monastery of Batalha - UNESCO World Heritage
- Batalha Monastery Reviews - TripAdvisor
- Batalha, Monastery Santa Maria da Vitoria - Impressions of Portugal
- Fatima Hotels - TripAdvisor
- Nazare Hotels - TripAdvisor
