Description Tomar

Tomar is a Portuguese city belonging to the district of Santarém, in the province of Ribatejo in the Centro region and sub-region of the Middle Tejo. In 2018 the municipality has 41,000 inhabitants, of which 19 654 are in the city (1991).

The city has several historical monuments, of which the Christ Convent, declared World Heritage, the Church of São João Batista, the Church of Santa Maria dos Olivais (where the remains of Gualdim Pais, master Templar and founder of the City.)

Former headquarters of the Order of the Templars, Tomar is a city of great charm, for its artistic and cultural wealth. The maximum exponent is in the Convento de Cristo, one of the most important works of the Renaissance in Portugal.

Whatever the reason for visiting the city, going up to the Templar castle and discovering the monumental work of the Convento de Cristo is essential.

It is worth seeing the Convent carefully to discover some gems, such as the representations on the Renaissance portal, the particular symbolism of the Manueline Window of the Chapter Room, the architectural details of the Main Cloister and the dependencies linked to the Templar rituals. From the Convent, we can walk down the Mata dos Sete Montes to the historic center.

Next, you have to visit Tomar. The oldest, medieval urban area is organized in a cross, oriented by the cardinal points and having a convent at each end. Praça da República, with the Mother Church dedicated to São João Baptista, marks the center, with the hill of Castelo and Convento de Cristo to the west. In the streets around you can find traditional shops and the oldest cafe where you can enjoy the delights of the local pastry: almond and chila cheese and the traditional Slices de Tomar, made only with egg yolks and cooked in a water bath in a very special pot, invented by a city coppersmith in the middle of the last century.

To the south, the Convento de São Francisco, where you can currently visit the curious Museum of Matches and, to the north, the former Convento da Anunciada. To the east, at the site of the current Levada Museum, we see the old mills and mills that worked with the force of the Nabão River that runs through the city. On one of the banks, there is the Convent of Santa Iria and in that direction, a little further away, the Church of Santa Maria do Olival.