Visiting Batalha
Visiting BatalhaIn august 14th of 1385, 6500 Portuguese (and English) defeated 31000 Spanish (and French) in Aljubarrota.
To celebrate the victory, king João I decided to build the most precious gem of Portuguese architecture – the monastery of Batalha.
Started in 1388, the work took centuries and was never finished, but the results are superb.
The first and most known architect, Afonso Domingues, planned a risky vault to the room of Capitulo, without any other support than the walls.
Tradition says that he opposed the critics that said it was going to fall, by sitting under it, and there dying of starvation.
The whole place is an harmonious combination of several styles, excellent to understand the evolution of art in Portugal, during the medieval ages.
Aljubarrota
The monastery was built to celebrate a great victory against the Spanish, that saved our independence.
The hero was Nuno Alvares Pereira, that later, distributed by the poor the whole of his great fortune and became a monk. He was, recently proclaimed saint by the Pope, under the name of Nuno de Santa Maria.
In Batalha he is still remembered by his military role.Not far, in S. Jorge, there’s a new complex called “Centro de interpretação da Batalha de Aljubarrota” where the battle is explained in detail.
Manueline style
Portugal has an exclusive style, a sort of Gothic variation with the adding of nautical elements, that is present in many buildings, including some of the top monuments.
Doors
A lateral door is generally skipped by the visitors, that, after watching carefully the main door, and exiting to visit the unfinished chapel, consider that everything was seen.
It’s a bad idea. This lateral door is important to compare with the main one, since it exemplifies perfectly the differences between flamboyant Gothic in Portugal and central Europe.
The front door
In 1402 the direction of the construction was assumed by the Flamand Huguet, who introduced several diferences in the architecture, started as Portuguese Gothic and finished as flamboyant Gothic. It’s interesting to compare the two main doors, the front one conceived by Huguet.
Southern door
Portuguese style, this door was still made by Afonso Domingues, and evidences the differences of both styles.
The Royal Chapel
Entering the monastery, at your right, stands the royal chapel, with the tombs of the king Joâo I and most of his family (his son, king Duarte, is in “Capelas Imperfeitas”, an adjacent mausoleum that you should not miss for any reason).
A very delicate room, it’s a festival of light and fine details, making it a real royal place.
The visit of this chapel and the church is free, but the cloisters and unfinished chapels do deserve the 4 € for the ticket.
Tombs
Most people visiting kings chapel, in Batalha, are impressed by the games of light produced by the stained glasses, and risk to dedicate less attention to the tombs. It’s a pity, because they are wonderful, and help to understand the importance in Portuguese history of all this royal family.
The Founders Chapel was the first Portuguese pantheon, and has in the centre the tombs of king João I and his wife, Filipa from Lancaster, surrounded by many other tombs of the king’s sons and their family.
Henry, the navigator is one of them, and only Duarte is missing (he is buried in another space in the monastery, maybe the most beautiful – the Unfinished Chapels
The Cloisters
The Royal cloister was made by Afonso Domingues and Huguet, and it’s interesting to observe the coexistence of both styles.
In the XVI century, Manueline elements were added.
From the Cloister you may access the Capitulo room, where is the tomb of the Portuguese unknown soldier. The exit will be through the Afonso V Cloister (unfinished) and the dining room, used as a small museum.
Don’t forget to enter the unfinished chapels, with a separate entrance a few meters at your right.
Unfinished chapel – Capelas Imperfeitas
Accessible from outside but sharing the ticket, in the back, the Unfinished Chapels are a unique marvel. Dom Duarte, eldest son of João and Filipa de Lencastre, was the second king of Avis dynasty, and commissioned a royal mausoleum in the church that was the family’s masterpiece. With an octagonal shape, the chapel were never finished, which did not prevent his burial in place.
The works lasted for centuries, and the original design was transformed by Dom Manuel’s architects, and evidence clearly the several styles (Gothic, and Manueline). One late balcony in Renaissance style, flags the end of the works, already in the 17th century.
WW1 museum
Inside the monastery, in the “Capítulo” room, there is the tomb of our unknown soldier, always with a military guard.
Close to it, there’s a small museum remembering our sad participation in WW1.
Not remarkable, but interesting and free to those who entered the cloisters.
Note: If you want to see more about WW1, visit Military Museum in Lisbon, with a larger and better display
Parish church
Church “Exaltação da Santa Cruz”
In Batalha, people only has eyes to the monastery, however, close to it, the parish church also deserves a look. Built by demand of local people some years after the monastery (maybe they didn’t feel at ease in the monastery, or had restrictions to enter), this church also includes Manueline ornaments. Damaged by Lisbon earthquake, it was reconstructed higher than its original size.There it is, just across the street from the monastery, deserving a quick look to its Manueline door, and… back to the monastery, of course.
Ponte do Boitaca
Diogo Boytac was a French artist that worked in the construction of the monastery (and in Jeronimos too).
This medieval bridge, recently restored, gets his name, supposedly because he has been its builder.
Facing the monastery, it is, now, a well maintained construction, balancing and enhancing the ambiance in the valley frontal to the monastery.
Diogo Boytac was a French artist that worked in the construction of the monastery (and in Jeronimos too).
This medieval bridge, recently restored, gets his name, supposedly because he has been its builder.
Facing the monastery, it is, now, a well maintained construction, balancing and enhancing the ambiance in the valley frontal to the monastery.
Vinho em Qualquer Circunstância
Very close to the monastery, this is a wine bar where you can eat.
The wine is king, with food selected according to the chosen wine, or for the less knowledgeable, with a wine recommendation for the chosen menu.
It’s a good experience.
Handy motel in Batalha
Handy motel in BatalhaGood looking
I never slept in this hotel (28 km from my bed) but I visit it frequently,
It is chosen by sellers to display their articles, in a good room available at the entrance, and I use to spend there a couple of hours each year, while my wife browses the fashion collections.
I like what I see – a well maintained space, with a few small blocks spreading in the garden around the pool.
The sellers enhance the ratio price-quality, and keep using it each year.
My visits are always out of season, and calm and evident cleanliness are, maybe, a circunstancial image, but, I repeat, I like it, and the monastery is less than one kilometer distant.
Address: IC2 just south of Batalha
othercontact: hotel@motelsjorge.com
Guess the differences
Three small details make these two pictures in Batalha a little bit different.
Will you find them ?
Solution:
1 – At left the monastery was absolutely secondary. At right it gets all the attention
2 – Left, the bride waits for her husband to take the picture. Right, she is somewhere home, waiting for her husband to post this tip.
3 – Left, the stone evidences its 600 years in place. Right, 37 years of pollution have been added.
Free your imagination
The splendor of Batalha is a challenge to each one’s imagination.
A Canadian couple (hello Klaudia and Joe) used Virtual Tourist to know something about the place, and we ended meeting in Nazaré and going there together.
They sure enjoyed the cathedral, and Joe surprised me, showing that, no matter how well you know a place, there is always a new angle to explore.
Travelling around
Around Batalha, and in a short distance, there are lots of interesting things to see.
As the monastery only takes a couple of hours to visit, Batalha is generally visited in a larger trip that includes Alcobaça, Fátima and Nazaré.
For transport reasons, staying in Leiria is also common.
