Batalha Monastery - Batalha, Portugal. Founded in thanksgiving for a major military victory in 1. Batalha Monastery(Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vit. The king was victorious, resulting in the independence of Portugal from Spain and the great Batalha Monastery. King Jo. Along with all other monasteries in Portugal, Batalha was dissolved in 1. Batalha Monastery; Native name Portuguese: Mosteiro da Batalha: Batalha Monastery is one of the most important Gothic sites in Portugal. Location: Batalha, Portugal. Batalha, town, west-central Portugal. It is located just south of Leiria city. The town is dominated by the great Dominican monastery of Santa Maria da Vit History of Batalha Monastery. Batalha Monastery was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1. The building is illuminated at night to spectacular effect.
The octogonal building attached to the right of the church is the Founder's Chapel. The west portal of the church is decorated with a riot of Gothic sculpture: the arc- shaped tympanum depicts Christ in Majesty with the Evangelists, while angels, saints and biblical figures look on from the six archivolts. The doors are flanked by free- standing statues of the Twelve Apostles, each one with a unique appearance. The top of the facade contains the largest stained- glass window in Portuguese Gothic architecture. There is plenty of room to walk around to the east end of the monastery, where there is a good view of the apse and Unfinished Chapels (on which more below). A small town amidst the hills of the Leiria area, Batalha only became a place of any significance upon the building of its magnificent monastery, now honoured with.At the southeast corner is an equestrian statue of Nuno Alvares, who fought with Jo. The modern monument was unveiled in 1. The three- aisle nave has the soaring vertical lines of the pure Gothic style. The monastery's windows are of exceptional beauty and, of course, best enjoyed on a sunny day. The stained- glass windows of the chancel - depicting the Visitation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Flight into Egypt and the Resurrection - have been carefully restored to their 1. Manueline form. On the right just inside the entrance is the beautiful Founder's Chapel, completed by English architect Master Huguet in 1. The octagonal structure is illuminated with tall stained glass windows and topped with an exquisite star vault. It contains the tombs of King Jo. The tomb of their famous son, Prince Henry the Navigator, is nearby. The lovely Royal Cloister was built during the reign of Jo. It includes a square Chapter House (1. Gothic vault that is remarkable for having no central supports. Also notable is the finely sculpted Gothic lavabo (used for ritual washing) in front of the refectory. The Afonso V Cloister, by contrast, is remarkable for its simplicity and lack of ornamentation, reflecting the particular taste of its architect, Fernao de Evora. At the east end, a richly ornamented portal leads to the seven Unfinished Chapels, built to house the tombs of the first kings of the Avis dynasty. Construction was abandoned when the workers were called away to Lisbon to build the Jeronimos Monastery for Manuel I. Open to the sky, the chapels are one of the finest examples of the richly ornamental Manueline style. The huge coral- stone portal by Mateus Fernandes, in particular, is one of the great masterpieces of Manueline architecture. The seven chapels radiate from an octogonal rotunda with massive stone pillars that would have support a great vault. Left unfinished, they provide an interesting glimpse into medieval construction. In one of the chapels, the tomb effigy of D. Duarte lies hand- in- hand beside his wife, Leonor of Aragon. In the center of the rotunda are . The upper level is home to a beautiful Renaissance balcony. Getting There. Batalha is located 1. N of Lisbon and not far from Fatima and Alcoba. However, there are some places to sleep and eat in Batalha. Quick Facts on Batalha Monastery. Site Information. Names: Batalha Monastery . To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip. References. Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vit.
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