Convento de Christo

- July 14, 2010

Convento de Christo Tomar Place of worship, refuge, home and stronghold of the Knights Templar: "Templarios"

The Convent of the Order of Christ (Portuguese: Convento de Cristo)

is a religious building and Roman Catholic building in Tomar,

Portugal, originally a Templar stronghold built in the 12th century.

After the Order of the Knights Templar was dissolved in the 14th century,

the Portuguese branch of the order was turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ,

which supported Portugal's maritime discoveries of the 15th century

The altar rails are about 5' high so that the Knights could

ride into the Church on horseback,take communion, and then ride off to

secure the border of the young Christian Kingdom against the Moors

The Templar order was suppressed throughout most of Europe from 1312–1314,
but in Portugal its members assets, and partly its membership, were transmitted to the Order of Christ
created in 1319 by King DinisThe Order of Christ moved to Tomar in 1357, which became its headquarters.