Portugal has a lot to offer. Greens hills, rough cliffs, surfing, the highest waves in the world at Nazaré, skiing on the Serra da Estrela, beautiful cities like Porto and Lisbon, a nice climate, delicious food for an affordable price, good wine and a lot more. I've been visiting almost every corner of the country. In the hills you can find the remaining of old castles and roman influences. Old Roman bridges and aqueducts. Monasteries with a mix of Gothic, Barocco and Manuel Style, can be found across the country. Today I will show you a remarkable one that is hard to miss when you drive around in the middel of Portugal.
Eye-catching and distracting
When you are driving from the highest mountain in Portugal to the surf spots on the Westcoast, you should take the highway N1 (instead of the tollroad). When you cross the district of Leiria, you will see typical Portuguese towns, stone factories, eucalyptus trees, industrie, hills, rivers etc. But at some point your eyes will be distracted by a huge remarkable building, right along the N1. It's the Monastery of Batalha, located in the town of Batalha. Batalha is an average sized town in Portugal with around 15,000 inhabitants. After crossing this beautiful building many times during the late hours, I once had the chance to stop in the town of Batalha and visit this place.
The history
The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was built by order of D. João I, King of Portugal, who had promised the Virgin Mary to build this monastery if he defeated Castile during the battle of Batalha de Aljubarrota. It took the Portuguese monarchy's two centuries to finish their main building project. During the building a national Gothic style evolved. Characteristic for Gothic architecture is, among other things, the use of pointed arches at window and door openings and vaults. The building proces has been influenced by Manueline art (named after King Manual I). The works were supervised by different architects: Afonso Domingues, David Huguet, Martim Vasques, Fernão d’Évora, and Mateus Fernandes. The result was one of the most fascinating Gothic monuments of the Iberian Peninsula. In 1983, the monastery was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In addition, it was declared one of the “7 Wonders of Portugal” in July 2007 and gained the status of National Pantheon in May 2016. Every year it attracts around 100,000 visitors.
Beauty inside and outside
I had some time this day and wanted to stop at a few places along the road. I enjoyed the outside of the building, with the mix of several styles. 1 part reminded me a bit of the style of some temple towers in Angkor Wat (Cambodia). It takes time to discover all the fantasy creatures on the cathedral, it's worth it. After walking around, it made me more curious about how it would look on the inside. After staring at the architecture around the main gate (Main West Façade), I decided to walk in. On both sides of this façade you can see sculptures of the twelve apostles standing on consoles. In the middle you can see a high relief statue of Christ in Majesty surrounded by the Evangelists, all framed by six covings decorated with sculptures of biblical kings and queens, prophets and angels (and they are holding musical instruments from the Middle Ages). The sculptures are completed by the crowning of the Virgin Mary. The Church of Saint Mary of the Victory is free to enter. But, the Monastery of Batalha requires entry with a ticket. During my visit in January 2022 it was 6,00 euro's for an adult. I visited Batalha again in October 2023 and the price increased to 11,00 euro's.
The church shows a bit for free
When you enter the church from the side, you can walk in there without entrance fee. This part of the complex is free to enter. The Church of Saint Mary of the Victory is the tallest in Portugal, at 32.5 meters high, 80 meters long and 22 meters in width. The Church of Saint Mary of the Victory is composed of three naves, a transept and five chapels. The stained glass windows seem to be the oldest in the country, dating back to the 15th century. During a sunny day, the colors inside are magic.
Founder's Chapel
This part is one of the most remarkable spaces in the Monastery of Batalha. Concluded by David Huguet in 1434, it wasn’t part of the monument’s original plan. It was added when King João I converted the Monastery of Batalha into a Royal Pantheon. In this chapel you will find several tombs with jaw-dropping design.
Royal Cloister
I visited this part only in 2022. The Cloister of King João I is the center of the Monastery of Batalha, as it provided access to the monastery’s common areas: the Church, the Chapter Room, the Dormitory, the Cellar, the Refectory. It has a single floor and galleries covered by arched vaults. The Cloister of King João I was started in 1386 by Afonso de Domingues (the first architect of the Monastery of Batalha). David Huguet, who completed the bulk of the structure. The work was also supervised by Martim Vasques and Mateus Fernandes and was finally completed in 1515.
In the garden of the cloister you will find the Friars’ Fountain / Basin. This Basin bears witness to a daily ritual of Dominican friars: washing their hands before starting their meal. The Fountain is part of the hydraulic system of the Monastery of Batalha. The water came from a spring located about 900 meters away and was supplied through underground pipes. This Basin was created by Mateus Fernandes already in the Manueline period.
Chapter House
When passing through the east gallery of the cloister, you’ll find the entrance to the Chapter House (i
a quadrangular space covered by a gigantic suspended vault, in the shape of an eight-pointed star. If you arrive on the dot, you’ll be able to see the changing of the guard, which honors the Unknown Soldier!
Unfinished Chapels
This octagon with seven funerary chapels was never finished. Aligned with the High Chapel at the back of the Church, the Unfinished Chapels wstarted to be built in 1434. The death of the monarch and the architect David Huguet in 1438 dictated their “unfinished” fate. The Manueline portal was sculpted by Mateus Fernandes in 1509. The Renaissance balcony, dating from 1533, is attributed to Miguel de Arruda. The tomb of King Duarte I and Queen Leonor de Aragão, was placed there in the 1940's.
Other pictures I took in the Unfinished Chapels
You won't find a lot of places like this in Portugal, so it's definitely worth a visit. There ara enough cheap cafe's around to enjoy a good lunch and a Galao. Best days to visit is during the week. In 2022 I was the only one walking around, last October there were huge lines, despite the fact that they doubled the prices after 1,5 year. Parking space in Batalha is all around, although some streets might seems full. Paid parking is there, but also enough free options.
Unfortunately, during the finishing of this post, I realized a part of the file with pictures is missing. I will add them later.
All pictures are mine, taken with an LG G8S ThinQ, a Samsung S23 Ultra and a Fuji XT-4
Unesco: Monastery of Batalha
Mosteiro Batalha, official website
Batalha Monastery, Wikipedia