BATALHA MONASTERY

HOME CATEGORIES DESTINATIONS PHOTOS BOOKS MAP TRIP PLANNING REFERENCE Portugal Sacred Sites Index Country Guide: Portugal Map Portugal Books Portugal Photos Portugal Hotels Portugal Tours Portugal Car Rentals Portugal Rail Passes Cities: Braga Evora Fatima Lisbon Tomar Categories Christian Monasteries Gothic Churches World Heritage Sites Reference Medieval Timeline Related Books Architecture of Silence: Cistercian Abbeys of France Cistercian Abbeys: History and Architecture Monasteries and Monastic Orders: 2000 Years of Christian Art and Culture Monastic Gardens Rick Steves' Portugal Lonely Planet Mediterranean Europe Lonely Planet Western Europe Rough Guide to Portugal 12 Fodor's Portugal Frommer's Portugal DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Portugal Lonely Planet Portugal Portugal / Batalha Monastery Batalha Monastery General view of the splendid Batalha Monastery. Photo Patrick C. West facade with Founder's Chapel on the right. Photo Waugsberg. Archivolts and tympanum of the Gothic west portal. Photo myobb. Statues of apostles in the west portal. Photo J. Voitus. Panoramic view from south. Photo Fred Lopes. View from southeast with the Unfinished Chapels. Photo Laura. Nave of the monastery church. Photo Juanma Mendo. Star vault of the Founder's Chapel (1434). Photo Georges Jansoone. The Royal Cloister. Photo Fred Lopes. Tomb of King João I. Photo nina volare. Ornate Manueline portal in the Unfinished Chapels. Photo Laura. Imagens ©2012, Dados cartográficos ©2012 - Termos de UsoMapaSatéliteHíbridoLocation map and aerial view of Batalha Monastery. For a larger interactive view, see our Portugal Map. Founded in thanksgiving for a major military victory in 1385, Batalha Monastery (Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória de Batalha) is a magnificent example of medieval Portuguese architecture. History In 1385, King João I vowed that if his outnumbered army defeated the Castilians at the important Battle of Aljubarrota, he would build a magnificent monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The king was victorious, resulting in the independence of Portugal from Spain and the great Batalha Monastery. King João I gave the monastery to the Dominicans and the splendid edifice was constructed over the next two centuries in the Gothic and Manueline styles. Along with all other monasteries in Portugal, Batalha was dissolved in 1834. Batalha Monastery was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1983 because it commemorates an important historical event and "here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister." What to See Exterior The west facade, covered in lacy stonework and filled with Gothic windows, overlooks a spacious plaza. The building is illuminated at night to spectacular effect. The octogonal building attached to the right of the church is the Founder's Chapel. The west portal of the church is decorated with a riot of Gothic sculpture: the arc-shaped tympanum depicts Christ in Majesty with the Evangelists, while angels, saints and biblical figures look on from the six archivolts. The doors are flanked by free-standing statues of the Twelve Apostles, each one with a unique appearance. The top of the facade contains the largest stained-glass window in Portuguese Gothic architecture. There is plenty of room to walk around to the east end of the monastery, where there is a good view of the apse and Unfinished Chapels (on which more below). At the southeast corner is an equestrian statue of Nuno Alvares, who fought with João I in the battle of Aljubarrota. The modern monument was unveiled in 1968. Interior The three-aisle nave has the soaring vertical lines of the pure Gothic style. The monastery's windows are of exceptional beauty and, of course, best enjoyed on a sunny day. The stained-glass windows of the chancel - depicting the Visitation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Flight into Egypt and the Resurrection - have been carefully restored to their 16th-century Manueline form. Founder's Chapel On the right just inside the entrance is the beautiful Founder's Chapel, completed by English architect Master Huguet in 1434. The octagonal structure is illuminated with tall stained glass windows and topped with an exquisite star vault. It contains the tombs of King João I and his English queen, Philippa of Lancaster (daughter of John of Gaunt), whose stone effigies lie in repose with their hands entwined. The tomb of their famous son, Prince Henry the Navigator, is nearby. Cloisters The lovely Royal Cloister was built during the reign of João I, with embellishments in the Manueline style added to the interior arches later. It includes a square Chapter House (19 meters long on each side) with a huge Gothic vault that is remarkable for having no central supports. Also notable is the finely sculpted Gothic lavabo (used for ritual washing) in front of the refectory. The Afonso V Cloister, by contrast, is remarkable for its simplicity and lack of ornamentation, reflecting the particular taste of its architect, Fernao de Evora. Unfinished Chapels At the east end, a richly ornamented portal leads to the seven Unfinished Chapels, built to house the tombs of the first kings of the Avis dynasty. Construction was abandoned when the workers were called away to Lisbon to build the Jeronimos Monastery for Manuel I. Open to the sky, the chapels are one of the finest examples of the richly ornamental Manueline style. The huge coral-stone portal by Mateus Fernandes, in particular, is one of the great masterpieces of Manueline architecture. The seven chapels radiate from an octogonal rotunda with massive stone pillars that would have support a great vault. Left unfinished, they provide an interesting glimpse into medieval construction. In one of the chapels, the tomb effigy of D. Duarte lies hand-in-hand beside his wife, Leonor of Aragon. In the center of the rotunda are . The upper level is home to a beautiful Renaissance balcony. Getting There Batalha is located 118km (73 miles) N of Lisbon and not far from Fatima and Alcobaça. From Lisbon, trains run to Valado dos Frades (€7.30 to €8.50 one-way) and buses continue from there to Batalha. Six expresso buses run from Lisbon to Batalha daily (2 hours; €7.80 one-way). From Nazaré, seven buses go to Batalha daily (1 hour; €2.25 one-way), with a change at Alcobaça. By car from Alcobaça, take the N8 northeast for about 20 minutes. Most visitors to Batalha choose to stay in Fátima or Nazaré, which have more hotels and restaurants. However, there are some places to sleep and eat in Batalha. Quick Facts Site Information Names: Batalha Monastery; Santa Maria da Vittoria na Batalha Location: Central Portugal, Portugal Faith: Christianity Denomination: Catholic Order: Dominican Dedication: Virgin Mary (Victorious) Category: Abbeys & Monasteries; World Heritage Sites Architecture: Gothic Date: Founded 1385 Status: museum Photo gallery: Batalha Monastery Photo Gallery Visitor Information Address: Praça Mouzinho de Albuquerque, Batalha 2440, Portugal Coordinates: 39.658769° N, 8.825862° W (view on Google Maps) Lodging: View hotels near this location Phone: 24/476-54-97 Note: This information was accurate when published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip. Article Sources Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória - Frommer's Portugal, 20th edition Batalha: Planning a Trip - Frommer's Portugal, 20th edition Monastery of Batalha - Portuguese Tourist Office Monastery of Batalha - UNESCO World Heritage Batalha Monastery Reviews - TripAdvisor Batalha, Monastery Santa Maria da Vitoria - Impressions of Portugal Travel Resources Fatima Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor Nazare Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor Last updated on July 13, 2009. Sacred Destinations Home About Contact Using Images Advertise Blog Twitter Privacy Policy Except where indicated otherwise, all content and images © 2005-12 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved. Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites, religious festivals, sacred sites, spiritual retreats, religious travel and spiritual journeys. Free content for your Google homepage or website! 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