One of the most imposing and grandiose religious works in Portugal is located in the bucolic city of Take, in the central region of the country. I'm talking about Convent of Christ and although the building is known as a convent, in its original design it was built as a castle in the year 1160. It functioned as the headquarters of the Pope's Knights Templar, the Catholic army, which answered directly to the highest representative of the Catholic Church, a group considered 'hidden' due to its strategic defense function. Even when the Moors took over much of Spain and Portugal in the late 1200s, the Knights Templar managed to keep the castle of Tomar under the control of the Kingdom of Portugal.
But there was a change when many European sovereigns, fearing that the figure of the Pope had more power than they did, annihilated the Knights Templar. But unlike many countries on the Continent, where the Knights were burned, here in Portugal King D. Dinis spared them and renamed them the Knights of the Order of Christ. This new order would answer to the king and would eventually be demilitarized and converted into an entirely religious order.
This change in function meant that the building was altered over the years to meet the religious needs imposed by the conversion of the Knights. These additions included cloisters, connecting corridors, an aqueduct and an expanded chapel, not to mention the decaying ironwork, paintings and tapestries.
The alterations and additions did not follow a single architectural style and were inspired by the various styles that predominated over the centuries, such as Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance. The biggest attraction is the Manueline chapel, an ornate style originally found only in Portugal. There were so many additions to the original building that the work was only completed in the 18th century, leaving the imposing Convent as we know it today.
Today, the Convent of Christ is preserved as a museum. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1983. The impressive architecture, the beautiful gardens and the incomparable view offered by the castle on top of the hill are worth the trip of just over 130 km from Lisbon.
