Convent of Christ
| Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo) | |
| Monastery (Mosteiro) | |
 A view of the Convent and Castle complex of Tomar
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| Official name: Convento de Cristo/Mosteiro de Cristo | |
| Named for: Jesus Christ | |
| Country |  Portugal |
|---|---|
| Region | Centro |
| Sub-region | Médio Tejo |
| District | Santarém |
| Municipality | Tomar |
| Location | Tomar (São João Baptista) e Santa Maria dos Olivais |
| - elevation | 11 m (36 ft) |
| - coordinates | 39°36′14″N 8°25′9″W / 39.60389°N 8.41917°WCoordinates: 39°36′14″N 8°25′9″W / 39.60389°N 8.41917°W |
| Styles | Manueline, Plateresque, Renaissance |
| Origin | 1160 |
| - Initiated | 12th century |
| - Completion | 16th century |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| For public | Public |
| Easiest access | Terreiro de Gualdim Pais |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Name | Convent of Christ in Tomar |
| Year | 1983 (#7) |
| Number | 265 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Criteria | i, vi |
| Management | Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico |
| Status | National Monument |
| Listing | Decree 10 January 1907, DG, Série I, 14 (17 January 1907); Decree 16 June 1910, DG, Série, 136 (23 June 1910); ZEP/Zona "non aedificandi", Dispatch Série II, 265 (14 November 1946); UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983) |
The Convent of Christ (Portuguese: Convento de Cristo/Mosteiro de Cristo) is a former Roman Catholic convent/monastery in the civil parish of Tomar (São João Baptista) e Santa Maria dos Olivais, in the Centrol region municipality of Tomar. Originally a 12th-century Templar stronghold, when the order was dissolved in the 14th century the Portuguese branch was turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ, that later supported Portugal's maritime discoveries of the 15th century. The Convent and Castle complex is a historic and cultural monument which was listed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983.
The convent was founded by the Order of Poor Knights of the Temple (or Templar Knights) in 1118. Its construction continued until the final part of the 12th century with the construction of the oratory, in one of the angles of the castle, completed by the Grand Master D. Gualdim Pais (sometime around 1160). Around 1190 it was encircled and resisted the armies of caliph Abu Yusuf al-Mansur who was successful in taking strongholds in the south. (A plaque was erected near the entrance to the castle to commemorate this event).
During the second quarter of the 13th century, Tomar was transferred into the control of the Templars, becoming its seat. The castle became an integral part of the defence system created by the Templars to secure the border of the young Christian Kingdom against the Moors, which at the time occupied the area to approximately the Tagus River. But, following the dissolution of the Templar Order, on 14 March 1319, and following the request of King Denis of Portugal, Pope John XXII instituted the Order of Christ. The seat of the former Knights Templar was converted in 1357 into the seat of this new order.
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