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TOMAR - PORTUGAL
Our school in our city
A - HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Tomar is the main town of the northern part of the county of Santarém, in the centre of Portugal, 133 kilometres from Lisbon, 82 from Coimbra, 197 from Oporto and 33 from Fátima. With an area of 352 square kilometres, this area includes 16 parishes and 44 000 inhabitants, 20000 of which reside in the urban area.
Dolmens, caves and other remains of settlements prove the region has been occupied for over 30 000 years.
The presence of Rome can be seen in the ruins of the forum of Sellium, an important municipality founded in the 1st century by the Emperor Augustus.
Of the barbarian peoples who settled here few traces have remained – some engraved tombstones – and the legend of Santa Iria, a beautiful martyr, whose body was thrown to the waters of the Nabão in 643, and would be carried by the water to the town of Scalabis, the name of which was then changed to Santarém.
Little is known of the Muslim occupation, but it was because of the need to defend the country against Arab attacks that the first king of Portugal ordered Gualdim Pais, Master of the Order of the Templars, to create a line of defence here.
Tomar was founded in 1160 with the building of the castle and the settlement, which received a charter that year.
With the end of the Templars, D. Dinis created in 1319 the Order of Christ, to which the land and property of the extinct order were given.
The fact that it is at a crossroads between Lisbon, Santarém, Leiria, Coimbra and Oporto is crucial to the importance which Tomar takes on during the Middle Ages.
It was in the 15th century, when the presence of “Infante” D. Henrique, that the town saw great development, with the urbanization of the Várzea Pequena area in a bold orthogonal plan north of the Corredoura street parallel and perpendicular to the river.
D. Manuel I gives the town a new charter in 1510, at the beginning of an unusually important period for the arts: the works of Olivier de Gand, Diogo de Arruda, Gregório Lopes, João de Ruão, Diogo de Torralva, among others, make Tomar one of the most important artistic centres of the time.
Philip of Austria, Phillip II of Spain, acclaimed as Philip I of Portugal in the courts of Tomar, invested in the town and in the Convent, finishing the construction work in the main cloister and the Pegões Aqueduct. The Sta Iria fair also appears in this period.
In 1789 Tomar reinforces its industrial activities with the Royal Weaving and Textile factory, which sprang from the hydraulic-powered ironworks, and later converted for the production of paper, in the 19th century.
Tomar is made a town in 1884, the first of the present-day county of Santarém, and one of the first to have electric energy, in the transition to the 20th century.
In 1879, with the newspaper “The Emancipation”, Tomar’s press is born.
Costa Cabral, Minister to D. Maria II and an important figure in Tomar gaining the status of a town, becomes increasingly significant when he acquires a large part of the Convent of Christ, thus rescuing it from inevitable despoliation, following the extinction of the Religious Orders in 1834.
Manuel Mendes Godinho is a name of great significance for Tomar’s economic growth from 1912, the year that a new nucleus appears, reinforcing the town’s textile and paper industries. This nucleus was so important that it survived the 20th century, despite the problems it went through in the last quarter.
These days Tomar is known as a centre for tourism and culture at an international level, famous for its historic and architectural nucleus of the Templar Castle and Convent of Christ (World Heritage), the Historic Centre and the Festival of the Trays that is unique in the world.
It is an educational centre with approximately 10,000 students of all levels and sectors, including Professional and Higher education, where the Polytechnic Institute is affirming itself as a centre for research and development.
Tomar is also an important leisure area, with its natural, scenic and monumental features and the excellent accommodation it offers, not to mention what the reservoir of the Castelo de Bode dam can offer in the area of nautical activities.
B – THE FESTIVAL OF THE TRAYS
The origins of the Festival of the Trays date back to the time of the Cult of the Empire, devoted to the Holy Ghost, created by the Holy Queen Isabel. However, the festival is strongly reminiscent of the ancient crop festivals, mainly due to the profusion of flowers and the presence of bread and ears of wheat on the trays, which the young girls dressed in white, carry on their heads.
The Festival of the Trays normally takes place every four years, at the beginning of July. However, it is on Easter Sunday that it is first announced, with the “bringing out of the crowns”, which every fortnight are paraded through the streets of the town. The Procession of the Trays, the high point of the Festival, opens with the Banner of the Holy Ghost and the three crowns of the Emperors and Kings, these days carried by the masters of ceremonies. The banners and crowns of all the parishes follow.
The procession is an enormous, winding flow of colour and music. It is made up of hundreds of couples: the girls, in white, with a coloured ribbon tied diagonally across the bust, and the trays on their heads; the men, in white shirts with their sleeves rolled up, dark trousers, a barret on the shoulder and a tie the colour of the girl’s ribbon. Closing the parade come the carts of bread, meat and wine, and the symbolic sacrificial oxen whose horns are decorated with ribbons of various colours.
The Tray is decorated with paper flowers, greenery and ears of wheat and should measure approximately the height of the girl who will be carrying it. It consists of 30 bread rolls, 400 grams each, stuck onto 5 or 6 specially shaped canes. The canes are stuck vertically into a wicker basket, which is wrapped in a white embroidered cloth, and are topped with a crown, which is, in turn, topped by the cross of Christ or the Dove of the Holy Ghost.
Alongside the Procession itself, there is a rich set of cultural and recreational initiatives. Among these, a variety of shows, street decorations, the Master of Ceremonies’ Procession, traditional popular games, festivities and fireworks.
C – MONUMENTS
CASTLE/CONVENT OF CHRIST
This unique set of monuments, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1983, consists of two distinct but intimately bound parts: one military, the Castle, founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, built with three fortified enclosures within which the various annexes of the religious part were built - the Convent.
This was the headquarters of the Order of the Temple until 1314, and of the Order of Christ from 1357. Portuguese architecture is impressively documented in a stroll through Portuguese History:
The Templar church at the castle (the octagonal oriental influenced 12th century “Charola”) is evidence of the Romanesque period. The Gothic style is visible in two cloisters dating from the time of Infante D. Henrique, Administrator of the Order of Christ. At the start of the 16th century, Manueline style appears in all its splendour, superbly illustrated by the “Capitulo” Window. The enlargement of the Convent, which started with D. João III, and lasted until the 18th century, is marked by the arts of the Renaissance, Mannerism and Baroque periods, seen, for instance, in the Lodgings Cloister, the main Cloister and in various architectural ornaments.
Also worthy of attention is the group of the eight cloisters of the Convent built in the 15th and 16th centuries, the High Choir, the House of the “Capítulo”, the Refectory, the Cross Chapel, the Court Rooms and the Philippine Sacristy, all from the 16th and 17th centuries.
PEGÕES AQUEDUCT
Built between 1593 and 1613, during the Philippine period, this monumental construction of 180 arches which spreads over six kilometres was built to supply water to the Convent of Christ. In some areas it has two overlaid rows of arches. Access from the Leiria Road.
SANTA MARIA DOS OLIVAIS CHURCH
With a spectacular rose window on its gothic façade, this church was rebuilt in the 13th century on the site of the original Templar Temple. It is presumed that the original function of the tower in front, which was remodelled in the 16th century and now serves as a bell tower, was as a watchtower. The side chapels and the south gallery are also from the 16th century, from the Renaissance. Noteworthy in this monument are the funerary stone of Gualdim Pais, an image of Our Lady of Milk by Diogo Pires-o-Velho, a Renaissance tomb of the 1st bishop of Funchal and the Chapel of Simão Preto, covered in 17th century tiles. During the time of the Discoveries this was Mother Church to all the churches of Asia, Africa and the Americas. It was also used as a model for another three nave churches in our country up to the Manueline period.
NOSSA SENHORA DA CONÇEIÇÃO CHURCH
16th century monument of pure Renaissance lines, with three vaulted naves. Located close to the Convent of Christ, it was begun by João de Castilho and finished by Diogo de Torralva.
SÃO JOÃO BAPTISTA CHURCH
This gothic Temple with three naves separated by pillars with sculpted capitals, was already completed in 1510, the year when D. Manuel granted the town a new charter. Noteworthy features are the main and the south portals (gothic), the north portal, the bell tower and the pulpit, sculpted in Ançã stone (Manueline), Portuguese tiles from the 16th and 17th centuries, an impressive set of Gregório Lopes panels (from the early 16th century) and a triptych in the Baptistery, earlier than these and attributed to the workshop of Quentin Metzys.
SANTA IRIA CONVENT
João de Castilho finished remodelling this building, built on top of an old Benedictine monastery, in 1536. The Renaissance portal and window can be admired from the outside. Inside, also from the Renaissance period, are the Chapel and “Calvary” of João de Ruão. Other elements not to overlook are the mural paintings of Domingos Serrão (from 1610), the Manueline sacristy door, the 17th century tiles and the golden engravings. The Nun’s Arch, which once linked the Convent to the old Frei António de Lisboa’s Palace, is of special interest.
SYNAGOGUE
Located in the old Jewish quarters, this is the only medieval Hebrew Temple in the country. Built to a square plan, this Temple has a dome-shaped ceiling, supported by columns and brackets set in the walls. It was built in the 15th century, and closed down in 1496, when the Jews were banished from Portugal. Some tablets and religious artefacts are on display.
ST. FRANCIS’S CONVENT
Located in the Várzea Grande, this monument was built between 1625 and 1660. The façade is mannerist and the building has two cloisters. The main chapel has 17th century tiles and a group of sculptures depicting the Passion.
In the square in front, the Várzea Grande, there is a Philippine stone landmark, which commemorates Filipe III’s sentence (1627) in favour of the people of Tomar, in a case in which they were opposed to the Order of Christ.
OTHER MONUMENTS
Tomar’s monumental wealth is not only in the buildings we have referred to so far. Other examples should be pointed out. Above all, there are three chapels which deserve a special mention:
The Chapel of Our Lady of Pity (Senhora da Piedade) is located on a hill from where one can enjoy an impressive view of the town. It is reached via an immense stairway, and is the result of the restoration and modification (1613) of the ancient 14th century chapel of the Senhora do Monte.
St. Gregory’s (S. Gregório), next to the Hotel dos Templários, is a 15th century chapel built to an octagonal plan with a porch supported by Tuscan columns. Worthy of note are the 17th century tile panels and the Manueline portal.
St. Laurence’s (S.Lourenço), on the road to Lisbon, also dating from the 15th century, marks the spot where D. João I and D.Nuno Álvares Pereira’s troops met before the Battle of Aljubarrota, on 10th August 1385, St. Laurence’s Day. There is a beautiful narrative tile panel on its exterior.
Civil arquitecture has, at least, five beautiful examples:
The Inns (Estaus), a set of buildings constructed by the Infante D.Henrique for lodgings and for business purposes. Having never been concluded, some gothic arches remain, of which some are integrated into other buildings.
D.Manuel’s Palace, in the Praça da República. The edifice that is known today (built by that king on top of the former apothecaries created by the Infante D. Henrique) does not have Manueline characteristics because it has undergone a series of transformations and construction work over time. The front and the arches at the back give the building a dignity suited to its functions as the town hall.
In the Av. Cândido Madureira, the Casa dos Tectos (“house of the ceilings”), from the 17th century. Later alterations gave it the appearance of a noble house from the north of Portugal.
More recent, the Vieira Guimarães House, built in 1922 in neo-manueline style, at the entrance to Rua Serpa Pinto.
WINDOWS AND PORTALS
Tomar has a wide range of windows and portals of historic and architectonic interest, and the care many private people have for their conservation is praiseworthy.
Some examples can be seen on a pleasant walk through the town.
Start by Rua dos Arcos where, above the tip of the second arch of the Inns, you can see the oldest and only original window from the 15th century. Right in front, in Rua Torres Pinheiro you will find an upper beam window with decorative elements. In Avenida Cândido Madureira there is a noble 16th century house with balcony and parapet windows with a rounded apron.
At the end of this avenue there is the Tourism Office building, from the 1930’s but with windows and portals from the Renaissance, parts of old demolished constructions. The portal is from the end of the 15th century; the corner window and three windows, two of them geminated, one original, the other a replica. Go into Rua do Pé da Costa de Baixo and follow to the Council Square where you will find palace windows and portals with floral motifs in the stonework. In Rua Silva Magalhães there are balcony and parapet windows and corner windows with bolsters, in an easily identifiable Renaissance house. Return to Rua Serpa Pinto: there you can admire balcony windows, parapets and decorated portals on a building from the 1920’s. Also in this street there are various buildings with tiles partially or entirely covering their facades. Halfway along this street, go into Rua dos Moinhos and further on you will find Rua Dr. Joaquim Jacinto, and a trimmed upper beam Manueline window. Also in this street, at n.º 63, there is a portal with two compasses which may suggest the profession of its occupant - stonemason, joiner… At the end of your walk look out for two 15th century plain apron windows and a portal from the same period in Rua D. Aurora de Macedo.
(Kindly authorised adaptation of a text by Dr. António Carlos Godinho, published in the Tomar Tourist Guide Book, 1996. The authors wish to express their gratitude for this.)
D – MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Match Museum
Convento de S.Francisco
Várzea Grande
Closed on Monday mornings.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays by appointment.
Open times: 10.00 a.m./12.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m./5.00 p.m.
Admission free.
Tinsmithing
Rua de Leiria, between nº14 and 16. (in front of the kindergarten)
Open daily.
Tel. No. 249322070
Miniature Trains
Av. General Bernardo Faria (former ox-stable),
Next to the train station.
Private.
Saturday mornings, 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.
For visits contact Mr. Miguel Tavares, tel. No. 249322972
E – THE RIVER NABÃO
Call them “ledges” in the river to conjure up the appropriate image. In the past the Nabão could easily have been a succession of water mirrors, dammed by each palisade weir. They were to be found all the way down the river, feeding the land and the industries, as far as Tomar and then going on feeding the land and the industries, again and again.
Together with the weirs were the watering wheels, like bridges connecting the water to the land. As “Nini” Ferreira said “a strong current of water would pass through the wheel channels, rushing and banging against and pushing the wheel gauges. In front of the gauges, tied to the outer bands (bands or arcs), were the water buckets, which dived, filled up, and were emptied into the “trays”. The water then moved along to the “royal duct” and from there, to pipes or aqueducts. Thus, the water reached vegetable gardens and orchards,” to the sound of the bucolic squeaking and creaking of the wood.
The land on the riverbanks was – and is – fertile. There was no shortage of water: almost seventy- five thousand litres would refresh it every hour. This calculation was made, according to “Nini” Ferreira, with an old clay water bucket from the Mouchão Wheel, which has a capacity of five litres: assuming that some of the water is lost before reaching the trays, there will be approximately 4 litres per bucket. An 88- bucket wheel, which can spin almost four times a minute, will deliver to the land something like 1,230 litres per minute, and the aforementioned 75, 000 litres per hour.
Each wheel had its “mouchão”, cool, green islands between the river and the canal; such as the Mouchão, now using the name as a proper noun, in the centre of Tomar. Pass through the gate and leave the town behind. You enter an authentic cathedral of seclusion, which does not even lack immense columns supporting gothic arches of plane and beech trees, simultaneously a roof and a stained glass window through which the light mingles with the foliage.
The Arabs left us the wheels as an inheritance, unarguably an asset, which our weirmen and wheel builders preserved so well. Thus, there are no doubts about considering the weirs and wheels of the Nabão to be typical and unique elements. There are other wheels and weirs here and there, on the banks of other rivers; but in none of them can the Nabantine characteristics be found.
The use of hydraulic resources dating back to the Arab occupation, can still be seen in the picturesque Watering Wheel of Mouchão Island and Park. Back in the 12th and 13th century the first olive oil presses and mills are installed, known as the Lagares D’El Rei, after D.Manuel., Although their function has changed greatly, they are visitable and are still able to be used to this day. The Old Bridge has undergone a lot of changes throughout the centuries, the oldest dating from 1480. Other repairs took place in 1550, 1710 and the latest in the 20th century.
F – GASTRONOMY
In the town’s restaurants codfish, lamb, tripe stew (dobrada), chicken giblet and blood stew (cabidela), lamprey and blood sausage are some of the delicacies that make every meal an occasion. Outside the town you will find the unforgettable “mexuda” of Pedreira (corn flour pap with small oven-baked sardines), the Junceira ”bucho”, or the bean, cabbage and breadcrumb soup ”requentado” of Carregueiros.
Tomar wines have an assured reputation: the Co-operative Winecellar and private producers, some of whom have received prizes at a national level. Among them are Diamantino Ferreira with “Solar dos Loendros”, Quinta do Cavalinho, and José Castro Vidal of the Quinta do Casal das Freiras. A drink, which many people enjoy, is the ”Mouchão”, a tasty beverage made of a mixture of white wine and other secret ingredients.
Tomar confectionery which is almost entirely based on eggs and almonds, has some specialities, such as “Tomar Slices”, cooked in typical and unique handicrafted tin plate pans. In confectionery, a number of little wonders can be found, such as Sweet Chestnuts, Tomar Stars, Bed Cakes, Egg Strings, Sweet Cheese Cakes, “Chila” Cheese Cakes and the provocative Kiss-Me-Quick’s.
The Soup Congress
In 1995, the Tourism Services, under Dr. Manuel Guimarães, “invented” an unexpected gastronomic event, which quickly gained national importance. The Soup Congress is a very short event, lasting approximately four hours, during which one can taste dozens of traditional Portuguese soups, among these the popular “Caldo verde” (shredded green cabbage soup) and more exotic varieties of soup: lettuce, lupin, chick pea broth, Tavern soup… Every year, in May, the inviting Mouchão island is invaded by thousands of soup tasters who savour them in special bowls supplied by the organisers. Bread, wine, water and coffee are included in the entry fee. In recent editions, alongside the soups presented by the dozens of participating restaurants, there is an interesting choice of traditional “family soups”.
Tomar is the main town of the northern part of the county of Santarém, in the centre of Portugal, 133 kilometres from Lisbon, 82 from Coimbra, 197 from Oporto and 33 from Fátima. With an area of 352 square kilometres, this area includes 16 parishes and 44 000 inhabitants, 20000 of which reside in the urban area.
Dolmens, caves and other remains of settlements prove the region has been occupied for over 30 000 years.
The presence of Rome can be seen in the ruins of the forum of Sellium, an important municipality founded in the 1st century by the Emperor Augustus.
Of the barbarian peoples who settled here few traces have remained – some engraved tombstones – and the legend of Santa Iria, a beautiful martyr, whose body was thrown to the waters of the Nabão in 643, and would be carried by the water to the town of Scalabis, the name of which was then changed to Santarém.
Little is known of the Muslim occupation, but it was because of the need to defend the country against Arab attacks that the first king of Portugal ordered Gualdim Pais, Master of the Order of the Templars, to create a line of defence here.
Tomar was founded in 1160 with the building of the castle and the settlement, which received a charter that year.
With the end of the Templars, D. Dinis created in 1319 the Order of Christ, to which the land and property of the extinct order were given.
The fact that it is at a crossroads between Lisbon, Santarém, Leiria, Coimbra and Oporto is crucial to the importance which Tomar takes on during the Middle Ages.
It was in the 15th century, when the presence of “Infante” D. Henrique, that the town saw great development, with the urbanization of the Várzea Pequena area in a bold orthogonal plan north of the Corredoura street parallel and perpendicular to the river.
D. Manuel I gives the town a new charter in 1510, at the beginning of an unusually important period for the arts: the works of Olivier de Gand, Diogo de Arruda, Gregório Lopes, João de Ruão, Diogo de Torralva, among others, make Tomar one of the most important artistic centres of the time.
Philip of Austria, Phillip II of Spain, acclaimed as Philip I of Portugal in the courts of Tomar, invested in the town and in the Convent, finishing the construction work in the main cloister and the Pegões Aqueduct. The Sta Iria fair also appears in this period.
In 1789 Tomar reinforces its industrial activities with the Royal Weaving and Textile factory, which sprang from the hydraulic-powered ironworks, and later converted for the production of paper, in the 19th century.
Tomar is made a town in 1884, the first of the present-day county of Santarém, and one of the first to have electric energy, in the transition to the 20th century.
In 1879, with the newspaper “The Emancipation”, Tomar’s press is born.
Costa Cabral, Minister to D. Maria II and an important figure in Tomar gaining the status of a town, becomes increasingly significant when he acquires a large part of the Convent of Christ, thus rescuing it from inevitable despoliation, following the extinction of the Religious Orders in 1834.
Manuel Mendes Godinho is a name of great significance for Tomar’s economic growth from 1912, the year that a new nucleus appears, reinforcing the town’s textile and paper industries. This nucleus was so important that it survived the 20th century, despite the problems it went through in the last quarter.
These days Tomar is known as a centre for tourism and culture at an international level, famous for its historic and architectural nucleus of the Templar Castle and Convent of Christ (World Heritage), the Historic Centre and the Festival of the Trays that is unique in the world.
It is an educational centre with approximately 10,000 students of all levels and sectors, including Professional and Higher education, where the Polytechnic Institute is affirming itself as a centre for research and development.
Tomar is also an important leisure area, with its natural, scenic and monumental features and the excellent accommodation it offers, not to mention what the reservoir of the Castelo de Bode dam can offer in the area of nautical activities.
B – THE FESTIVAL OF THE TRAYS
The origins of the Festival of the Trays date back to the time of the Cult of the Empire, devoted to the Holy Ghost, created by the Holy Queen Isabel. However, the festival is strongly reminiscent of the ancient crop festivals, mainly due to the profusion of flowers and the presence of bread and ears of wheat on the trays, which the young girls dressed in white, carry on their heads.
The Festival of the Trays normally takes place every four years, at the beginning of July. However, it is on Easter Sunday that it is first announced, with the “bringing out of the crowns”, which every fortnight are paraded through the streets of the town. The Procession of the Trays, the high point of the Festival, opens with the Banner of the Holy Ghost and the three crowns of the Emperors and Kings, these days carried by the masters of ceremonies. The banners and crowns of all the parishes follow.
The procession is an enormous, winding flow of colour and music. It is made up of hundreds of couples: the girls, in white, with a coloured ribbon tied diagonally across the bust, and the trays on their heads; the men, in white shirts with their sleeves rolled up, dark trousers, a barret on the shoulder and a tie the colour of the girl’s ribbon. Closing the parade come the carts of bread, meat and wine, and the symbolic sacrificial oxen whose horns are decorated with ribbons of various colours.
The Tray is decorated with paper flowers, greenery and ears of wheat and should measure approximately the height of the girl who will be carrying it. It consists of 30 bread rolls, 400 grams each, stuck onto 5 or 6 specially shaped canes. The canes are stuck vertically into a wicker basket, which is wrapped in a white embroidered cloth, and are topped with a crown, which is, in turn, topped by the cross of Christ or the Dove of the Holy Ghost.
Alongside the Procession itself, there is a rich set of cultural and recreational initiatives. Among these, a variety of shows, street decorations, the Master of Ceremonies’ Procession, traditional popular games, festivities and fireworks.
C – MONUMENTS
CASTLE/CONVENT OF CHRIST
This unique set of monuments, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1983, consists of two distinct but intimately bound parts: one military, the Castle, founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, built with three fortified enclosures within which the various annexes of the religious part were built - the Convent.
This was the headquarters of the Order of the Temple until 1314, and of the Order of Christ from 1357. Portuguese architecture is impressively documented in a stroll through Portuguese History:
The Templar church at the castle (the octagonal oriental influenced 12th century “Charola”) is evidence of the Romanesque period. The Gothic style is visible in two cloisters dating from the time of Infante D. Henrique, Administrator of the Order of Christ. At the start of the 16th century, Manueline style appears in all its splendour, superbly illustrated by the “Capitulo” Window. The enlargement of the Convent, which started with D. João III, and lasted until the 18th century, is marked by the arts of the Renaissance, Mannerism and Baroque periods, seen, for instance, in the Lodgings Cloister, the main Cloister and in various architectural ornaments.
Also worthy of attention is the group of the eight cloisters of the Convent built in the 15th and 16th centuries, the High Choir, the House of the “Capítulo”, the Refectory, the Cross Chapel, the Court Rooms and the Philippine Sacristy, all from the 16th and 17th centuries.
PEGÕES AQUEDUCT
Built between 1593 and 1613, during the Philippine period, this monumental construction of 180 arches which spreads over six kilometres was built to supply water to the Convent of Christ. In some areas it has two overlaid rows of arches. Access from the Leiria Road.
SANTA MARIA DOS OLIVAIS CHURCH
With a spectacular rose window on its gothic façade, this church was rebuilt in the 13th century on the site of the original Templar Temple. It is presumed that the original function of the tower in front, which was remodelled in the 16th century and now serves as a bell tower, was as a watchtower. The side chapels and the south gallery are also from the 16th century, from the Renaissance. Noteworthy in this monument are the funerary stone of Gualdim Pais, an image of Our Lady of Milk by Diogo Pires-o-Velho, a Renaissance tomb of the 1st bishop of Funchal and the Chapel of Simão Preto, covered in 17th century tiles. During the time of the Discoveries this was Mother Church to all the churches of Asia, Africa and the Americas. It was also used as a model for another three nave churches in our country up to the Manueline period.
NOSSA SENHORA DA CONÇEIÇÃO CHURCH
16th century monument of pure Renaissance lines, with three vaulted naves. Located close to the Convent of Christ, it was begun by João de Castilho and finished by Diogo de Torralva.
SÃO JOÃO BAPTISTA CHURCH
This gothic Temple with three naves separated by pillars with sculpted capitals, was already completed in 1510, the year when D. Manuel granted the town a new charter. Noteworthy features are the main and the south portals (gothic), the north portal, the bell tower and the pulpit, sculpted in Ançã stone (Manueline), Portuguese tiles from the 16th and 17th centuries, an impressive set of Gregório Lopes panels (from the early 16th century) and a triptych in the Baptistery, earlier than these and attributed to the workshop of Quentin Metzys.
SANTA IRIA CONVENT
João de Castilho finished remodelling this building, built on top of an old Benedictine monastery, in 1536. The Renaissance portal and window can be admired from the outside. Inside, also from the Renaissance period, are the Chapel and “Calvary” of João de Ruão. Other elements not to overlook are the mural paintings of Domingos Serrão (from 1610), the Manueline sacristy door, the 17th century tiles and the golden engravings. The Nun’s Arch, which once linked the Convent to the old Frei António de Lisboa’s Palace, is of special interest.
SYNAGOGUE
Located in the old Jewish quarters, this is the only medieval Hebrew Temple in the country. Built to a square plan, this Temple has a dome-shaped ceiling, supported by columns and brackets set in the walls. It was built in the 15th century, and closed down in 1496, when the Jews were banished from Portugal. Some tablets and religious artefacts are on display.
ST. FRANCIS’S CONVENT
Located in the Várzea Grande, this monument was built between 1625 and 1660. The façade is mannerist and the building has two cloisters. The main chapel has 17th century tiles and a group of sculptures depicting the Passion.
In the square in front, the Várzea Grande, there is a Philippine stone landmark, which commemorates Filipe III’s sentence (1627) in favour of the people of Tomar, in a case in which they were opposed to the Order of Christ.
OTHER MONUMENTS
Tomar’s monumental wealth is not only in the buildings we have referred to so far. Other examples should be pointed out. Above all, there are three chapels which deserve a special mention:
The Chapel of Our Lady of Pity (Senhora da Piedade) is located on a hill from where one can enjoy an impressive view of the town. It is reached via an immense stairway, and is the result of the restoration and modification (1613) of the ancient 14th century chapel of the Senhora do Monte.
St. Gregory’s (S. Gregório), next to the Hotel dos Templários, is a 15th century chapel built to an octagonal plan with a porch supported by Tuscan columns. Worthy of note are the 17th century tile panels and the Manueline portal.
St. Laurence’s (S.Lourenço), on the road to Lisbon, also dating from the 15th century, marks the spot where D. João I and D.Nuno Álvares Pereira’s troops met before the Battle of Aljubarrota, on 10th August 1385, St. Laurence’s Day. There is a beautiful narrative tile panel on its exterior.
Civil arquitecture has, at least, five beautiful examples:
The Inns (Estaus), a set of buildings constructed by the Infante D.Henrique for lodgings and for business purposes. Having never been concluded, some gothic arches remain, of which some are integrated into other buildings.
D.Manuel’s Palace, in the Praça da República. The edifice that is known today (built by that king on top of the former apothecaries created by the Infante D. Henrique) does not have Manueline characteristics because it has undergone a series of transformations and construction work over time. The front and the arches at the back give the building a dignity suited to its functions as the town hall.
In the Av. Cândido Madureira, the Casa dos Tectos (“house of the ceilings”), from the 17th century. Later alterations gave it the appearance of a noble house from the north of Portugal.
More recent, the Vieira Guimarães House, built in 1922 in neo-manueline style, at the entrance to Rua Serpa Pinto.
WINDOWS AND PORTALS
Tomar has a wide range of windows and portals of historic and architectonic interest, and the care many private people have for their conservation is praiseworthy.
Some examples can be seen on a pleasant walk through the town.
Start by Rua dos Arcos where, above the tip of the second arch of the Inns, you can see the oldest and only original window from the 15th century. Right in front, in Rua Torres Pinheiro you will find an upper beam window with decorative elements. In Avenida Cândido Madureira there is a noble 16th century house with balcony and parapet windows with a rounded apron.
At the end of this avenue there is the Tourism Office building, from the 1930’s but with windows and portals from the Renaissance, parts of old demolished constructions. The portal is from the end of the 15th century; the corner window and three windows, two of them geminated, one original, the other a replica. Go into Rua do Pé da Costa de Baixo and follow to the Council Square where you will find palace windows and portals with floral motifs in the stonework. In Rua Silva Magalhães there are balcony and parapet windows and corner windows with bolsters, in an easily identifiable Renaissance house. Return to Rua Serpa Pinto: there you can admire balcony windows, parapets and decorated portals on a building from the 1920’s. Also in this street there are various buildings with tiles partially or entirely covering their facades. Halfway along this street, go into Rua dos Moinhos and further on you will find Rua Dr. Joaquim Jacinto, and a trimmed upper beam Manueline window. Also in this street, at n.º 63, there is a portal with two compasses which may suggest the profession of its occupant - stonemason, joiner… At the end of your walk look out for two 15th century plain apron windows and a portal from the same period in Rua D. Aurora de Macedo.
(Kindly authorised adaptation of a text by Dr. António Carlos Godinho, published in the Tomar Tourist Guide Book, 1996. The authors wish to express their gratitude for this.)
D – MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Match Museum
Convento de S.Francisco
Várzea Grande
Closed on Monday mornings.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays by appointment.
Open times: 10.00 a.m./12.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m./5.00 p.m.
Admission free.
Tinsmithing
Rua de Leiria, between nº14 and 16. (in front of the kindergarten)
Open daily.
Tel. No. 249322070
Miniature Trains
Av. General Bernardo Faria (former ox-stable),
Next to the train station.
Private.
Saturday mornings, 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.
For visits contact Mr. Miguel Tavares, tel. No. 249322972
E – THE RIVER NABÃO
Call them “ledges” in the river to conjure up the appropriate image. In the past the Nabão could easily have been a succession of water mirrors, dammed by each palisade weir. They were to be found all the way down the river, feeding the land and the industries, as far as Tomar and then going on feeding the land and the industries, again and again.
Together with the weirs were the watering wheels, like bridges connecting the water to the land. As “Nini” Ferreira said “a strong current of water would pass through the wheel channels, rushing and banging against and pushing the wheel gauges. In front of the gauges, tied to the outer bands (bands or arcs), were the water buckets, which dived, filled up, and were emptied into the “trays”. The water then moved along to the “royal duct” and from there, to pipes or aqueducts. Thus, the water reached vegetable gardens and orchards,” to the sound of the bucolic squeaking and creaking of the wood.
The land on the riverbanks was – and is – fertile. There was no shortage of water: almost seventy- five thousand litres would refresh it every hour. This calculation was made, according to “Nini” Ferreira, with an old clay water bucket from the Mouchão Wheel, which has a capacity of five litres: assuming that some of the water is lost before reaching the trays, there will be approximately 4 litres per bucket. An 88- bucket wheel, which can spin almost four times a minute, will deliver to the land something like 1,230 litres per minute, and the aforementioned 75, 000 litres per hour.
Each wheel had its “mouchão”, cool, green islands between the river and the canal; such as the Mouchão, now using the name as a proper noun, in the centre of Tomar. Pass through the gate and leave the town behind. You enter an authentic cathedral of seclusion, which does not even lack immense columns supporting gothic arches of plane and beech trees, simultaneously a roof and a stained glass window through which the light mingles with the foliage.
The Arabs left us the wheels as an inheritance, unarguably an asset, which our weirmen and wheel builders preserved so well. Thus, there are no doubts about considering the weirs and wheels of the Nabão to be typical and unique elements. There are other wheels and weirs here and there, on the banks of other rivers; but in none of them can the Nabantine characteristics be found.
The use of hydraulic resources dating back to the Arab occupation, can still be seen in the picturesque Watering Wheel of Mouchão Island and Park. Back in the 12th and 13th century the first olive oil presses and mills are installed, known as the Lagares D’El Rei, after D.Manuel., Although their function has changed greatly, they are visitable and are still able to be used to this day. The Old Bridge has undergone a lot of changes throughout the centuries, the oldest dating from 1480. Other repairs took place in 1550, 1710 and the latest in the 20th century.
F – GASTRONOMY
In the town’s restaurants codfish, lamb, tripe stew (dobrada), chicken giblet and blood stew (cabidela), lamprey and blood sausage are some of the delicacies that make every meal an occasion. Outside the town you will find the unforgettable “mexuda” of Pedreira (corn flour pap with small oven-baked sardines), the Junceira ”bucho”, or the bean, cabbage and breadcrumb soup ”requentado” of Carregueiros.
Tomar wines have an assured reputation: the Co-operative Winecellar and private producers, some of whom have received prizes at a national level. Among them are Diamantino Ferreira with “Solar dos Loendros”, Quinta do Cavalinho, and José Castro Vidal of the Quinta do Casal das Freiras. A drink, which many people enjoy, is the ”Mouchão”, a tasty beverage made of a mixture of white wine and other secret ingredients.
Tomar confectionery which is almost entirely based on eggs and almonds, has some specialities, such as “Tomar Slices”, cooked in typical and unique handicrafted tin plate pans. In confectionery, a number of little wonders can be found, such as Sweet Chestnuts, Tomar Stars, Bed Cakes, Egg Strings, Sweet Cheese Cakes, “Chila” Cheese Cakes and the provocative Kiss-Me-Quick’s.
The Soup Congress
In 1995, the Tourism Services, under Dr. Manuel Guimarães, “invented” an unexpected gastronomic event, which quickly gained national importance. The Soup Congress is a very short event, lasting approximately four hours, during which one can taste dozens of traditional Portuguese soups, among these the popular “Caldo verde” (shredded green cabbage soup) and more exotic varieties of soup: lettuce, lupin, chick pea broth, Tavern soup… Every year, in May, the inviting Mouchão island is invaded by thousands of soup tasters who savour them in special bowls supplied by the organisers. Bread, wine, water and coffee are included in the entry fee. In recent editions, alongside the soups presented by the dozens of participating restaurants, there is an interesting choice of traditional “family soups”.