Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Convent of the Order of Christ
Attractions & Activities
The variety of attractions in Tomar is astonishing and makes this beautiful town a must-see
in Portugal. The Castle and Convent of the Order of Christ is dripping with folklore and
history and ranks among the top attractions in the country. There are numerous religious
buildings including the 15
th
Century Church of São João Baptista, the Gothic Church of
Santa Maria do Olival, the quaint Renaissance Nossa Senhora da Conceição Church, the
synagogue which contains a fascinating Jewish Museum, the church of São Francisco with
a Match Museum, and the Church of Santa Iria, the town's patron saint. The organisation
of the streets in a chessboard pattern was extremely rare in a medieval town and was instig-
ated by Henry the Navigator and copied in Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake.
