- Largo Infante Dom Henrique
The town was founded by King D. João I of Portugal to pay homage to the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota (August 14, 1385). - Tree branches at night
It was a rainy night and these are the reflections on tree branches. - Mosteiro da Batalha
The famous Batalha Monastery, officially known, as the Monastery of Saint Mary of the Victory. It was erected in commemoration of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota and is now one of the best examples of late gothic architecture in Portugal. - Mosteiro da Batalha
- Mosteiro da Batalha
Batalha probably had the first workshop for stained-glass windows in Portugal. The oldest windows are from the 1430s. - Tomb of Mateus Fernandes (d. 1515)
Mateus Fernandes was one of the architects of the Monastery and started the Manueline style. - Mosteiro da Batalha
A wonderful Gothic nave - Capela do Fundador
One of the stained glass window - Capela do Fundador
The Founders' Chapel was built between 1426 and 1434. - Prince Henry the Navigator's omb
One of the many tombs is the Founder's Chapel. In the middle, there is a joint tomb of King John I of Portugal (d.1433) and his wife Philippa of Lancaster (d.1415). Around are the tombs of his sons, including this one, the tomb of Henry the Navigator (d. 1460). - Tomb of King João II
King João II, also called the Perfect Prince (Príncipe Perfeito), died in 1495. - Capela do Fundador
The outer square and the inner octagonal architecture represents the symbiosis between local Gothic and English perpendicular style, as King João married Philippa of Lancaster. - Capela do Fundador
Wonderful Gothic architecture in the Founders' Chapel. - Mosteiro da Batalha
The nave of the church. The Monastery took very long to build, starting in 1386 and "ending" in 1517 - or rather never! - Claustro Real
The Royal Cloister was built between 1448 and 1477. - The Chapterhouse
The Chapterhouse (Sala do Capitulo) with the Unknown Soldier Tomb. It is a 19x19 m² square room with a star vault lacking a central support. According to Wikipedia, this was such a daring concept at the time that condemned prisoners were used to perform the task. It was completed after two failed attempts... - Dormitory
Original Dormitory window. The room was later used as a wine cellar. - Claustro Real
The Royal Cloister is 50x50 m². The south and east wings were built by one architect (Afonso Domingues) and the north and west wings by another (Huguet). - Claustro Real
The Royal Cloistre and the church - Claustro Real
- Claustro Real
- Claustro Real
- Dormitory
Entrance to the original Dormitory in the Royal Cloister - Gargoyle souvenir
A souvenir you can buy in Batalha Monastery Shop in the form of one of their many gargoyles. - Claustro D. Afonso V.
The second cloister was built in the 15th century as the Royal Cloister and dormitory didn't suit the Dominicans. This one with individual rooms was built in a plain Gothic style and the original Dormitorium was used as a wine cellar. - Claustro D. Afonso V.
The dormitory cells - Claustro D. Afonso V.
Some rather ... strange ... carvings on the dormitory walls. - Claustro D. Afonso V.
More carvings... - Claustro D. Afonso V.
- Capelas Imperfeitas
The Unfinished Chapels, obviously :-) The octagonal rotunda, which has seven radiating hexagonal chapels, was commissioned in 1437 by King Edward, Dom Duarte. - Portal
Portal leading to the Unfinished Chapels was originally built in Gothic style, but was transformed "beyond recognition" in 1509 into Manueline style. - Portal
The portal from 1509 is (one of?) the oldest example of Manueline architecture, built by Mateus Fernandes. It is a homage of King Manuel I to his predecessor King Edward and the motto "Leauté faray tam yaserei (I will always be loyal)" is written over two hundred times. - Portal
Magnificent Manueline architecture - Tomb
- Unfinished Chapels
The insane amount of details on the finished part compared to the ... well ... unfinished part is just crazy. - Unfinished Chapels
The Unfinished Chapels and the tombs of Dom Duarte (Eduard, d.1438) and his queen Eleanor of Aragon (d. 1445).