The small town of Batalha is close to Lisbon: just over 100km. With less than 2 thousand inhabitants, the small village has in its territory one of the most emblematic architectural works in Portugal and what is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe: the Batalha Monastery.
The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória (known by the name of the village that houses it), is a monastery located in the central region of Portugal and was built at the behest of King Dom João I in 1386. So grand, the work was built throughout of two centuries, until around 1563, although it had already housed Dominican religious since 1388. The construction time meant that the building gained more than an artistic and architectural style: built in the Gothic style, the Batalha Monastery still carries Manueline and Renaissance and is considered one of the seven Wonders of Portugal and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When we visited, we noticed that there is a main chapel, with huge and imposing arches, with galleries on both sides. The arches come together in a criss-cross shape at the Monastery's very high ceiling, which houses huge windows with colorful stained glass. Throughout the construction period, additional works were carried out to the initial project, resulting in a vast monastic complex that currently features a church, two cloisters with attached dependencies and two royal pantheons, the Founder's Chapel and the Imperfect Chapels.
Since 2016, the Batalha Monastery has held the title of National Pantheon, and there are buried D.João I, D.Filipa de Lencastre, the infant D.Henrique, the infant D.João, D.Isabel, D.Fernando, D. Afonso V, D.João II, D.Duarte and also the Unknown Soldier.
The work still has one of its parts unfinished. These are the Imperfect Chapels, which we note have the same style as the rest of the building, with imposing arches, grand windows and a spectacular marble floor. The only thing missing is the roof, which is not necessary, since the Imperfect Chapels are, in fact, a place for reflection and prayer in the open air, with rays of sunlight making the place even more beautiful.
Inside the Monastery, there is a small but beautiful garden, with a small set of crystal-clear water fountains. When we advance towards the same area as the fountains, we come across a room guarded by soldiers and which has the only and imposing original stained glass window from the Monastery of Batalha (the others have at some point been restored). But that's not all: the room houses the monument to the Unknown Soldier, which is a tribute that nations pay to their soldiers who died in some war and who were not identified.
The Batalha Monastery can be visited throughout the year and is worth the admission price. Don't miss one of the seven wonders of Portugal and let yourself be carried away by the sculptures that are carved throughout the building.