Convent of Christ-The Charola
Convento de Cristo, Tomar, 2300 - Portugal
Phone: +351 249 313 481 - Fax: +351 249 322 730
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The centre of the Convento de Cristo is the church built by the Knights Templar and modelled on the Rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It is 16 sided with a central octagon of altars. After the disbandment of the Knights in 1314 and their replacement by the Order of Christ, it became (in 1356) the Portuguese headquarters of the Order. When the 16th century Manueline Church was built, an archway incorporated the Charola as the main chapel. The enormous wealth of the Order is apparent from the gilded statuary below the Byzantine cupola, the frescoes and the paintings.
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