090116 Golegã to Tomar

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).

Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.

We ate breakfast at Café Rédea Curta: toast with tomatoes and onions (and oil?); both had a sliced orange; MT coffee and milk/Don water.

Ivana walked with us a few blocks to the Camino route on Rua Dom João IV. She had told MT that, if we made it as far as a town (starting with A) just before a dark forest, she could drive us the rest of the way to Tomar (or just take us to Tomar from Golegã).

Thursday, September 1, 2016, 11:06 AM – After Golegã: olives on tree.

MT 11:12 AM – After Golegã: olives on tree (closer up).

5.6 km out of Golegã, we came to the village of São Caetano.

11:19 AM – São Caetano: sign entering town, with MT in background.

11:24 AM – São Caetano: yellow arrow on utility pole (we turned right).

MT 11:30 AM – São Caetano:  official Camino sign with scallop shell and yellow arrow, with snails at bottom.

Next, we came to the village of Vila Nova da Barquinha.

11:57 AM – Vila Nova da Barquinha: welcome sign entering town and apparently the “concelho” (municipality).

Vila Nova de Barquinha is a town (pop. 7,322) that is the seat of a concelho (municipality) of the same name (pop. 3500), still in the district of Santarém. It belonged to the old province of Ribatejo. The village of Vila Nova da Barquinha was created in the 17th century around a river port (hence the name Barquinha, from barca (boat), meaning little boat). In the 18th and 19th centuries, the village became the most important in the region, and it was turned into the seat of the municipality in 1836 (formerly in Atalaia). The arrival of the Portuguese railway system eventually led to the decline of riverboat commerce in the municipality.

Although some villages in the municipality are ancient, the development of the region is closely related to the period of the Reconquista, when the River Tagus (Tejo), which flows through the municipality, was the border between the dominions of Christians and Moors. In the 12th century, the Knights Templar were in charge of the defense of this border, and they built castles along the river. In the late 13th century, when the Reconquista was finished, the importance of these castles declined, but the villages along the river became important river ports for the transport of agricultural goods of the region to Lisbon.

The second oldest bullring in Portugal, built in 1853, is next to the train station of Vila Nova da Barquinha. It is the scene of at least one Corrida de Touros (Running of the Bulls) each year.



 MT 12:02 PM – Vila Nova da Barquinha: – prickly pear cactus.



 MT 12:16 PM – Vila Nova da Barquinha: – a kind of evergreen tree MT liked.

Shortly after Vila Nova da Barquinha, we came to Quinta da Cardiga, which was very large and impressive, although not well kept up. Unfortunately, Don was in a hurry to find a place to go to the bathroom; so he took no photos—and neither did MT.

The Quinta da Cardiga is an old manor house on land that was given to the Knights Templar by King Dom Afonso Henriques in 1169, for land clearing and cultivation. However, shortly thereafter the Templars erected a castle there, known as Castelo da Cardiga (Castle of Cardiga). Strategically located on the banks of the River Tejo (Tagus), this castle—along with the castles of Almourol, Ceras, and Zêzere—became part of the defensive system, known as the “linha do Tejo” (Tagus line), against invasion by both the Spanish and the Arabs.

With the extinction of the Knights Templar in 1312, the land and the castle passed to the Ordem do Cristo (Order of Christ) in 1321. That order then built a summer farm (c. 1540-1542). The project included a palace, a barn, a chapel, and a cloister. This complex became a quinta (farm) in the municipality of Golegã, with the great house with garden, vegetable garden, chapel, stables, barns, houses for servants, hospices, mill, wine cellar, and other workshops and facilities. The architectural ensemble is an interesting mixture of styles, with a tower (from the original castle), a Manueline portal of the 16th century, and azulejo tiles from the 16th and 17th centuries. Thus, the quinta, expanding from the castle, became a royal palace, home to religious orders, hospital for pilgrims, and home to nobility.

With the extinction of religious orders in Portugal in 1834, the property passed into the hands of many individuals. Since the 19th century, the quinta has been owned by several large farmers, but it is now abandoned. In fact, it was listed for sale in 2016 on Sotheby’s International Realty’s web site.

The web site http://www.sothebysrealtypt.com/imoveis/quinta-30-quartos-golega-golega_pt_10580 includes several good photos of the buildings and grounds and provided the following information: Sale price – under consultation; 30 rooms, Área bruta ([raw?] area) 22,297 m² (240,003 sq ft), Área Terreno (terrain area) 422,400 m² (4,549,676 sq ft or 104.38 acres); description (in Portuguese, translated): “Romantically situated to the north of Lisbon, Quinta da Cardiga has been a grand family house with an equestrian center with a century of existence. Quinta da Cardiga was donated to the Templars by Dom Afonso Henriques. A part of the quinta is more than 850 years old.”

Quinta da Cardiga: palace with circular tower and thin circular chimneys; stone bridge at far end of road (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4513895993_dab3013034.jpg).

The palace has the structure of a Renaissance palace-fortress flanked by circular towers topped by cupolas. It integrates interior courtyards, galleries, and several outbuildings.

Quinta da Cardiga: courtyard with fountain (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/44/130214046_83f665e305.jpg).

The main façade is marked by the symmetrical arrangement of windows on two floors. The Manueline main portal has a simple rectangular frame surmounted by a pediment with winding elements into which is inserted a medallion with the Cross of Christ (emblem of the Order of Christ) supported by two putti. The main façade also has a scalloped portal decorated with grotesque motifs.

Quinta da Cardiga: Manueline door with bell gable above an azulejo panel at right (http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7199/6876917531_257c077ee1.jpg).

Quinta da Cardiga: palace and top of castle tower (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/3055307189_0604732078.jpg).

From the Templar castle, there remains a quadrangular tower with six floors. The quadrangular barn is covered with vaults based on monolithic columns. The Chapel, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia (Our Lady of Mercy), has a single nave with a square chancel covered by a vault.

Then we came to the village of Atalaia.

MT 12:26 PM – Vila Nova da Barquinha:  Don behind wall with cut-out of person.



 12:27 PM – Atalaia: sign entering town; the town’s crest features a tower (since, in Portuguese, atalaia means watchtower); “Saúda-vos” means “Greetings to you.”

Atalaia (pop. 1,735) is a freguesia (civil parish) in the concelho (municipality) of Vila Nova da Barquinha. Between 1213 and 1836, Atalaia was the seat of the municipality. In 2007, a group of scientists found traces of human (Neanderthal) occupation, dating back over 300,000 years, at the site of Ribeira da Atalaia (riverbank of Atalaia); these are the oldest remains known in Portugal. In Portuguese, atalaia means watchtower.



 12:47 PM – Atalaia: Igreja da Atalaia (aka Igreja Matriz de Atalaia) – façade and tower.

The Igreja da Atalaia (aka Igreja Matriz de Atalaia), the main church of Atalaia, was built between 1514 and 1528 and dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Assunção (Our Lady of the Assumption); hence it is also known as Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Assunção. Its architecture includes elements of Renaissance, Mannerist, and Baroque, with some points of Gothic origin. It has a magnificent portal in the Manueline style (see Appendix A of this blog). The curious façade is divided into 5 parts, of which the two parts on the sides have curves at the top with curved arches for passage. The corners of the church are topped with buttresses crowned by pinnacles. The central body of the façade is distinctive, having 4 levels; the first with the main portal, the second with a perspectival window, and the last 2 making up the bell tower. The current façade does not match the original building, since it was much altered by the restoration carried out in the 1930s. The church has been a National Monument since 1926.

Atalaia: Igreja da Atalaia - portal (pt.wikipedia.org).

The element that deserves the most interest is actually the portal, whose composition has 2 pilasters, with niches that house the figures of St. Peter and St. Paul, framing a round arch surmounted by an entablature full of grotesque motifs that flank the coat of arms of Pedro de Meneses (the Count of Cantanhede, who built the church in 1528). Around the top of the portal are 4 carved busts: 2 on each side of the arch, with the figures of a young man and a warrior; the other 2 at the base of the pilasters, showing a man and a woman.

Atalaia: Igreja da Atalaia - detail of upper right corner of portal showing medallion of warrior and figure of St. Paul (pt.wikipedia.org).

The interior is in the Renaissance style, divided into 3 naves. The tops of the walls of the central nave are decorated with azulejo tile panels, from the early 17th century, depicting scenes from the Old Testament.



 1:12 PM – After Atalaia: path through eucalyptus forest; at right are a wooden yellow arrow and a sign for “Área de Refúgo de Caça” (Area of Refuge of Hunting).



 1:12 PM (Cropped) – After Atalaia: wooden yellow arrow and a sign for “Área de Refúgo de Caça” (Area of Refuge of Hunting) on path through eucalyptus forest.



 MT 1:19 PM– After Atalaia: eucalyptus trees.

We came to a place where the smooth dirt path we were on continued straight and then curved around a corner to the right. However, before the curve, someone had painting several rocks created a large yellow arrow that pointed off to the right, perpendicular to the smooth path. We didn’t like the looks of the path to the right (rough and uphill); so we continued for a bit straight and around the curve, but saw no more arrows. Then we had to go back and take the turn uphill.



 1:29 PM – After Atalaia:  MT at place where smooth path continued straight and around curve, but large yellow arrow pointed to right.

1:29 PM – After Atalaia:  MT studying large yellow arrow that pointed to right, uphill.



 1:29 PM – After Atalaia: rough path uphill.

This was only the beginning of several hills. Every time we thought we had reached the top of the climb, there was another, larger hill ahead. Brierley’s map showed we had to climb one medium-size hill and two large hills (MT thought it was four).



 1:31 PM – After Atalaia: Don on narrow, rocky path uphill (telephoto 54 mm).



 1:32 PM – After Atalaia: Don on first plateau on steep climb (telephoto 64 mm).



 1:32 PM – After Atalaia: Don on first plateau on steep climb (no telephoto).



 1:33 PM – After Atalaia: Don taking a water break on first plateau on steep climb.



 1:38 PM – After Atalaia: MT going on uphill; yellow wooden arrow nailed to tree stump.



 1:39 PM – After Atalaia: MT on small plateau partway up this hill.



1:39 PM – After Atalaia: MT at plateau and path going on up (telephoto 360 mm).



 1:41 PM – After Atalaia: MT at top (of this part).



 1:41 PM – After Atalaia: MT at top (of this part) (telephoto 186 mm).



 MT 2:00 PM – After Atalaia: another large yellow arrow made up of painted rocks.



 MT 2:01 PM – After Atalaia: just past that yellow arrow made up of painted rocks, Don with fallen yellow stake with broken wooden yellow arrow (he pounded the stake back into the ground so the remaining part of the arrow pointed to the path ahead, as did the rocks, but he kept the other part of the arrow as a souvenir).

After several more hills, we finally came to the small village of Grou. Grou is Portuguese for crane (the bird).



 2:43 PM – Grou: MT on road entering Grou; utility [pole has spray-painted yellow arrow (above it are sign for Hostel and another sign with scallop shell an yellow arrow); on left side of road ahead is a parked SUV with 2 ladies behind the open rear door.

At Grou, we greeted two middle-aged Portuguese ladies by a vehicle on the street, and one of them offered us water from her fuente (literally a fountain, but just a spigot on the side of an outbuilding) and then gave us two nice apples. (Total stop 10 minutes.)

Then we stopped at a bar in Asseiceira and got ice cream bars (€1.10 ea).



 3:08 PM – Asseiceira: sign entering town, and town and church in background.

Asseiceira is a town that is the seat of the freguesia (civil parish) of the same name in the concelho (municipality) of Tomar. It was a village and seat of a concelho between 1253 and the beginning of the 19th century. In 1801, it became the seat of a freguesia. The freguesia, which includes Grou, has a population of 2,945. The name Asseiceira is derived from the Latin word that became salgueiral (willow) in Portuguese, and it is considered the “pérola do concelho de Tomar” (pearl of the municipality of Tomar), since it was located on the Roman road and was a frequent resting place for travelers. In the 13th century, Asseiceira belonged to the Knights Templar and was protected by the knights in Tomar.

Then we stopped (15 minutes) at a Mini Mercado in Asseiceira to buy 1.5 liter bottle of water (€0.50), 2 bananas (€0.29), and ¼ kg of Queijo Alavo cheese (€1.57; the lady sliced it for us) for a total of €2.36 with tax.

Down the street, we stopped (3:55-4:03) to eat the cheese, MT’s banana, and drink the cold water.

Around 4:15, we reached the village of Guerreira.



 4:16 PM – Guerreira: sign entering town.

At the Glorieta junction, we saw an arrow for right turn, but the streets went either straight ahead or to the left (with a yellow X meaning not to go there). So we tried going straight but saw no more arrows; then we went back to the intersection, where a young man told us that we were still many kilometers from Tomar and suggested we go to the nearby train station. Near the train station, we stopped at Estação (Station) bar, and the men there told us to try going straight from the questionable intersection. Just after that intersection, having crossed to the sidewalk on the righthand side of the street earlier than we had before, we found a faint yellow arrow on the sidewalk pointing to turn right onto a narrow dirt path that did not look inviting.

At that point, we were so tired (from all this walking back and forth, after a long day on the Camino) that we went back to the train station to get someone to call a taxi for us (this was around 5:30, and we were still a long way from our hotel). When we entered the building pointed out as the station, we found a furniture store on the ground floor (the station was upstairs) and two sales ladies who spoke no English. We finally got them to call a taxi, after one of them had reluctantly looked it up in the phone book.

The taxi came after a long time and charged €10 to take us to our reserved lodging at Pensão Residencial União. The driver told us that the temperature that day was 40° C (104° F) and that the week ahead was supposed to be up to 42° C (107.6° F).

Thus, we finally arrived in Tomar.

Tomar (also known in English as Thomar) is a city and the seat of a concelho (municipality) of the same name in the Santarém district. The city has a population of about 20,000 and the municipality 40,677.

The city lies over the old Roman city of Sellium. After the retaking of the region from the Moors in the Portuguese Reconquista, the land was granted to the Order of the Knights Templar in 1159. In 1160, Gualdim Pais, the Grand Master of the Templars in Portugal, laid the first stone of the castle and monastery (Castelo de Tomar/Convento de Cristo) that would become the headquarters of the Order in Portugal. From it, the Templars ruled a vast region of central Portugal, which they pledged to defend from Moorish attacks and raids.

In 1162, Gualdim Pais as Grand Master also granted the foral (feudal charter) to the town of Tomar.* Tomar was the last Templar town to be commissioned for construction. When the town was founded, most of its residents lived in dwellings located inside the protective outer walls of the Castle of Tomar.

* The Portuguese word foral is derived from the Latin forum. A carta de foral, or simply foral, was a royal document in Portugal, whose purpose was to establish a concelho (council) and regulate its administration, borders, and privileges. A newly founded town would also need the king’s approval, through a foral, in order to be considered one. Thus, the granting of the foral was the most important event of a town’s or city’s history. The foral made a concelho free from feudal control, transferring power down to the local concelho, with its own municipal autonomy. As a result, the population would become directly and exclusively under the dominion and jurisdiction of the crown, excluding the feudal Lord from the power hierarchy. The pelourinho (pillory) is directly linked to a foral. It was erected after the foral was granted and placed in the main square of the town.

In 1312, heavily swayed by Philip IV of France, Pope Clement V (papacy 1305-1314) issued a papal bull abolishing the Knights Templar throughout France and most of Europe on charges of heresy. Pope Clement V wanted the Templars banned throughout Europe. However, King Dinis I of Portugal refused to pursue and persecute the former knights and defended them, largely for their aid during the Reconquista and the subsequent reconstruction of Portugal. Dinis simply rebranded the Order of Knights Templar as the Ordem dos Cavaleiros de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo (Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ). He created the new Order in 1317 for those knights who survived their mass slaughter throughout Europe. Then he negotiated with Clement’s successor, Pope John XXII, for recognition of the new order and its right to inherit the Templar assets and property. In 1319, Dinis transferred the possessions of the Templars in Tomar to the newly created Ordem de Cristo (Order of Christ) [originally Ordem Militar de Cristo (Military Order of Christ)], founded in that year.

Tomar was especially important in the 15th century, when it was the center of Portuguese overseas expansion under Prince Henry the Navigator, the Grand Master of the Order of Christ from 1417 to 1460, who established his court here. In Portugal, the Order of Christ accumulated great riches and power during the Age of Discoveries.

In 1492, Dom Manuel became the Grand Master. He was soon to become King Manuel I of Portugal and promoted what came to be known as the Manueline style of architecture, of which there are prime examples in Tomar. (For more information on the Manueline style, see Appendix A of this blog.)

Brierley describes Tomar as “the quintessential medieval pilgrim town and the most perfect example of Templar layout and architecture to survive to this day.”

When we finally arrived at Pensão Residencial União around 6:30, the taxi had to take us to the back door (on Rua Alexandre Herculano), since the front was on a pedestrianized street, Rua Serpa Pinto.



 Friday, September 2, 2016, 12:53 PM – Tomar: pedestrianized Rua Serpa Pinto with red Templar crosses – view to E from Praça da Republica toward Pensão Residencial União; the nearest umbrellas on the left are for Restaurante Tabuleiro, where we would eat dinner.



 Friday, September 2, 2016, 12:56 PM – Tomar: Pensão Residencial União front on Rua Serpa Pinto with Templar cross.



 Friday, September 2, 2016, 12:56 PM (Cropped) – Tomar: Pensão Residencial União front on Rua Serpa Pinto with Templar cross and blue-and-white azulejo tile panels on both sided of entrance; the awning over the door shows three stars.

The pedestrianized Rua Serpa Pinto is the main shopping street of the historical center of Tomar. It is one of the two oldest streets of Tomar, and was originally known (and still known by locals) as Corredoura (corredor). It. leads to the Gothic Church of São João Baptista, on Praça da República, which is overlooked by the Castle of Tomar. The beautiful street has nice shops, restaurants and bars. However, the Posto do Turismo (tourist office) of Tomar has moved from this street and can now be found across the street from the park and botanical gardens.

Don got curious when this was the second town we visited that had a major street named Serpa Pinto, and he did a little research. Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto, Viscount of Serpa Pinto (aka Alexandre de Serpa Pinto or just Serpa Pinto) was a Portuguese explorer of southern Africa and a colonial administrator. History books describe his African expedition as one of the most exciting of modern times. During the last two decades of the 19th century, the name of Serpa Pinto (1846-1900) was legendary, not only in Portugal, but throughout all of Europe.

The desk clerk (owner?) of União said this was originally a house, 250 years old, and was converted into a pensão (pension, B&B) in 1895.

Tomar: carimbo stamp for “Residencial União, Empreendimentos Holeleiros, Lda. [Hotel Enterprise, Ltd.], NIF [Numero de Identificação Fiscal = Fiscal Identification Number (tax number)]: 500 730 768 l Tel.: +351 249 323 161. email: residencialuniao@sapo.pt, Rua Serpa Pinto 94 l 2300-592 Tomar” with owner’s initial over date.

Pensão Residential União in Tomar is a very charming and characteristic small guest house (28 rooms), right in the historical center of Tomar. The guest house (small hotel) is situated on the pedestrianized Rua Serpa Pinto, the most central street of Tomar, close to the shops, restaurants, and bars of Tomar and surrounded by its historical and cultural points of interest and across the street from the famous Café Paraiso.

The União has a long history which is still evident in the old but well taken care of building. It was established as a pensão in 1895, and the atmosphere has been kept to resemble this era. The furniture is from this period as are all the artefacts. The rooms feature high ceilings and antique-style furniture. However the comfort and services have been updated to modern standards as all the rooms have heating and air-conditioning, cable TV, free WiFi, and private bathroom. Each room is unique both in décor and furniture, and the ambiance of the bar, sitting room and breakfast room is particularly attractive. Prices include an extended breakfast in the gorgeous breakfast room overlooking the atrium garden and with a view of the Castelo de Tomar.

Guests can relax in the traditional sitting room, which features a piano.

Friday, September 2, 2016, 9:15 AM – Tomar: Pensão Residencial União – old living room now used as common room.

The desk clerk gave us vouchers for dinner at Restaurante Tabuleiro down the street on Rua Serpa Pinto. He also said we could hang clothes on the lines we had passed (with white bed linens) when we came in the back entrance. We showered and washed and hung clothes.



 Thursday, September 1, 2016, 6:09 PM – Tomar: Pensão Residencial União – our room (20a), with antique-style furniture.



 Friday, September 2, 2016, 8:51 AM – Tomar: Pensão Residencial União – our room, inside of old door and old plank floor.



 Friday, September 2, 2016, 8:51 AM – Tomar: Pensão Residencial União – our room, old plank floor.

Before going out to eat, we asked the desk clerk about possibly taking a train or bus to Alvaiázere, since (a) TM’s knees had hurt a lot today, and (b) Brierley showed a lot of things to see in Tomar. He said to take a bus; he checked on the schedule and said it was at 10:30 am or 5:30 pm. The latter would give us more time in Tomar; so he marked up a map of the city with what he said were the top 11 things to see.

Then we went to Restaurante Tabuleiro to eat.



 Friday, September 2, 2016, 12:54 PM – Tomar: Restaurante Tabuleiro on Rua Serpa Pinto.

The Portuguese, tabuleiro means tray. Every four years, in July, Tomar celebrates the Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festival of the Trays), also known as Festa do Divino Espirito Santo (Feast of the Holy Spirit). The local population gathers for a procession in hundreds of pairs with the girls carrying tabuleiros on their heads. The tabuleiro (tray) should be the same height as the girl who carries it. It is made of 30 stacked pieces of bread, either in 6 rows of 5 or 5 rows of 6, decorated with paper flowers and greenery. At the top of the tabuleiro is a crown that normally contains either a white dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, or the esfera armilar (armillary sphere), a symbol of the historical Portuguese maritime expansion, and over the sphere the cross of the Order of Christ. All this emerges from a wicker basket that is wrapped in a white embroidered cloth. The girls wear a long white dress with a colored ribbon around their waist and diagonally across their chest. The boys accompanying them wear dark trousers and a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a tie the same color as the girl’s ribbon, and a black beret on one shoulder.

Festa dos Tabuleiros procession, with younger children (commons.wikimedia.org).

Festa dos Tabuleiros procession, with young adults (commons.wikimedia.org).

The origin of the festival dates back to the Cult of the Holy Spirit, set in the 14th century, but may have roots in more ancient harvest festivals, as is seen in the profusion of flowers and the presence of bread and heads of wheat on the trays.

At Restaurante Tabuleiro, they let us order anything we wanted off the menu. They automatically brought bread, spread cheese, tuna paté, sardine paté, and olives. We ordered vegetable soup (€1.60 ea on the menu). For the main course, MT had salmon with salad (vice fries), and Don had filet of veal (3 pieces for €9.50) and rice. These also came with a salad; so MT got 2 salads. For desert, MT had coconut pie, and Don had Baba de Camela Caseira (homemade carmel mousse), We had ½ liter red wine (from the zone) and a bottle of water.

Thursday, September 1, 2016, 8:31 PM – Tomar: Restaurante Tabuleiro – Don’s veal filets.



 MT 8:38 PM – Tomar: Restaurante Tabuleiro – Don with his wine, veal filets, rice, and salad.

8:32 PM – Tomar: Restaurante Tabuleiro – MT with her wine and salmon.



 8:32 PM – Tomar: Restaurante Tabuleiro – MT’s salmon and salads.



 8:35 PM – Tomar: Restaurante Tabuleiro – MT and Don with main courses and wine.

After dinner we walked west on Rua Serpa Pinto toward Igreja de São João Baptista and Castelo de Tomar/Convento do Cristo, which we would visit on Friday.



 9:12 PM – Tomar: Igreja de São João Baptista – N side and octagonal tower, with city hall on other side of Praça da República and Castelo de Tomar/Convento do Cristo on hill in background.

MT 9:19 PM – Tomar: Praça da República with City Hall on right (with Templar cross on pole in front of it) and Castelo de Tomar/Convento do Cristo on hill in background; barely visible in the center of the square is the statue of Gualdim Pais.

The 17th-century Paços do Conceilho (City Hall) is located on Praça da República. The bronze statue in the square represents Gualdim Pais, the 4th Grand Master of the Knights Templar, who founded the town in the late 12th century.

9:17 PM – Tomar: view from Praça da República up to Castelo de Tomar/Convento do Cristo on hill, with Templar cross on pole in square.



 MT 9:18 PM – Tomar: view from Praça da República to E on Rua Serpa Pinto, back toward Restaurante Tabuleiro and Pensão Residencial União.