The Nabantinos – the people of Tomar

Templar City – the city’s architecture

Churches and Chapels – historic religious buildings

Convent of Christ – the former Templar convent

Tomar, located in central Portugal, is divided by the Nabão River. The modern city lies to the east, while the historic centre occupies the west bank—an area rich in monuments, family-run restaurants, and small local shops.

I arrived in Tomar knowing nothing about the town. It was meant to be only a base for exploring Portugal. But when I first looked out of my hotel window and saw clay-tiled roofs, weathered buildings, a river cutting through the city, and a medieval castle rising on a hill, I immediately knew I would stay longer.

A Short History of Tomar

Beneath modern Tomar lie the remains of the Roman city of Sellium, later known as Nabantia under Visigoth rule.

In 1159, following the Portuguese Reconquista, the land was granted to the Order of the Knights Templar. In 1160, Tomar’s founder, Dom Gualdim Pais, laid the first stone of the castle, around which the early town developed.

The Church of Santa Maria do Olival, built shortly thereafter, became Tomar’s first Templar church and the burial site of Dom Gualdim Pais.

In 1190, the castle successfully withstood an attack by the Moroccan caliph Abu Yusuf al-Mansur.

In 1314, under pressure from the Pope, the Templars were dissolved across Europe. Five years later, King Dinis persuaded the Pope to allow their continuation in Portugal under a new name: the Order of Christ, which retained the Templars’ lands and influence.

Prince Henry the Navigator (1394–1460) later used the Order’s resources to support maritime exploration. During this period, improvements were made to the Convent of Christ, dams were built along the Nabão River, and a rational street plan was laid out—still visible today.

After the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, many settled in Tomar. The original synagogue remains intact.

During the reign of King Manuel I (1495–1521), major Manueline works were introduced in Tomar. These included the celebrated Chapter Window at the Convent of Christ and the construction of the Church of São João Baptista in the city’s main square.

Later, under King João III, Renaissance elements were added to the Convent of Christ, including the construction of a large cloister.

In 1593,King Philip I commissioned the Aqueduct of Pegões to supply water to the convent.

By the 18th century, Tomar had become one of Portugal’s early industrial centres, with the Nabão River powering textile, paper, glass, silk, and soap production.

The Order of Christ gradually declined, and in 1834 all religious orders in Portugal were dissolved. In 1907, the site was classified as a national monument, and in 1983 the Convent of Christ was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

© 2014 Gaetano Antonini