Batalha

About

In 1385, King João I vowed that if his outnumbered army defeated the Castilians at the important Battle of Aljubarrota, he would build a magnificent monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The king was victorious, resulting in the independence of Portugal from Spain and the great Batalha (“Battle”) Monastery, as well as the founding of the town of Batalha itself. João's monument is a masterpiece of Portuguese Gothic architecture, combining Gothic and Manueline styles from its 200 year construction period. Its most dramatic feature is right in the centre of the chapel: the enormous tomb of Dom João I and his wife, Queen Philippa of Lancaster. On the site of the battle itself stands the humble Capela de Sao Jorge. With its Romanesque architecture and austere decoration, it is the yin to the Batalha Monastery's yang.