North Portugal Tourism Guide - Batalha

Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitoria, Batalha

As you approach Batalha you will be blown away by the fabulous Gothic sight looming over this pretty, but small town. The Mosteiro de Batalha seems too big for its location. It looks out of place against the sunny, palm fringed, limestone cobbled walkways that surround this Gothic jewel. It is a truly beautiful and complementary mix of straightforward, clean Gothic and the more elaborate Manueline styles.

Mostiero da Batalha or the Abbey of Baltaha as it's also known was built as the Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. Dom Joao had vowed to the Virgin Mary that he would build a superb abbey in return for victory against the 30,000 strong Castilian forces who were fighting a meagre 6,500 Portuguese army. By 1434 the majority of what we see today was finished in a gorgeous fine carved gothic style, but the additions in the 15th and 16th centuries are where the Manueline touches came in that give the monastery it's finer detail, particularly the Manueline centrepiece, the Royal Cloisters, Claustro Real.

In the centre of the Capela do Fundador is the joint tomb of Joao I and his English wife Philippa of Lancaster whose marriage in 1387 established that special relationship that still exists between the Portuguese and the English. The tombs along the south wall are of their four youngest sons; the second one from the right is Henry the Navigator. The Capelas Imperfeitas are the Unfinished Chapels at the eastern end of the abbey. This is an octagonal mausoleum with seven chapels that were commissioned by Dom Duarte in 1437 but although later additions were made, most noticeably the Manueline additions by Mateus Fernandes that overshadows everything that's gone before, it was never finished so it remains today open to the skies above.

Batalha Town

The Tourist Office of Batalha is at Praca Mouzinho de Albuquerque, 2440-121 Batalha. Tel: 351 244 765 180.

Buses stop east of the abbey in Largo 14 de Agosto and come from Alcobaca, Leiria and Fatima. There are also less frequent buses to Lisbon.

There is some street parking conveniently around the abbey.