Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of and Convent of Christ in Tomar

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of

   In Belém, the river Tagus widens toward the Atlantic, and the whole district has the feel of a farewell. This was where Portuguese ships left for India, Brazil and the spice islands, and where the returning ones anchored, laden with pepper, cinnamon and gold. A good deal of that wealth went into building. The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, begun in 1501 under King Manuel I and paid for in part by a levy on the spice trade, and the Tower of Belém, finished in 1519, are the twin pillars of a style that takes its name from the king, Manueline, with carved ropes, anchors, armillary spheres and exotic plants in stone. Together they were listed by UNESCO in 1983.

   Read the complete Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of is where the day begins. Next is Monastery of Alcobaça.

2. 2. Monastery of Alcobaça

   In 1153, Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, gave a vast estate to the Cistercian monks of Bernard of Clairvaux, and they built here one of the greatest monasteries of medieval Europe. The church of Alcobaça, with its long, soaring nave of pale stone, is austere and beautiful in the Cistercian manner, and the cloisters, dormitory, chapter house and refectory survive almost intact. The kitchen is enormous, with a huge chimney and a stream diverted through it so the monks could catch fish directly. UNESCO listed the monastery in 1989. But the main reason most visitors come is a love story.

   Read the complete Monastery of Alcobaça write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Monastery of Alcobaça comes up about 127 km into the recorded legs. Next is Convent of Christ in Tomar.

3. 3. Convent of Christ in Tomar

   The Knights Templar chose the hill above Tomar in the twelfth century, building a castle to defend the new kingdom of Portugal against the Moors, and at its heart they raised a round church, the Charola, modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. When the Templars were suppressed in the fourteenth century, the Portuguese king transferred their property to a new order, the Order of Christ, which went on to finance much of Portugal's maritime expansion; Henry the Navigator was its governor. Over the centuries, the order added cloisters, chapels and dormitories, and the Convent of Christ became one of the great monuments of Portugal, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1983.

   Read the complete Convent of Christ in Tomar write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 192 km into the recorded legs you reach Convent of Christ in Tomar. Next is back through Monastery of Alcobaça.

4. 4. back through Monastery of Alcobaça

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Monastery of Alcobaça write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Monastery of Alcobaça, late in the day. Next is Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of.

5. 5. Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of. That is the ride.