Batalha Monastery (XIV century) is a true and unique masterpiece of European architecture (late Portuguese Gothic and Manueline style). You will be able to see the marvellous royal pantheon, the resting place of King D. João I and British-born Queen D. Filipa de Lencastre, and several other members of the royal family. Among them, King D. João II and Henry the Navigator, two key actors in the Portuguese Discoveries around the world, which paved the way for Portugal to
become the first global empire.
Built to commemorate the decisive victory of the Portuguese in the Battle (“Batalha”) of Aljubarrota in 1386 against the Kingdom of Castille, it became a symbol of national independence and marked the beginning of a new era in the history of Portugal. Consecrated to the Virgin Mary, the monastery was run by the monks of the Dominican Order, who lived and worshiped here for over 600 years, inspired by the coloured lights of the stained glass of the cathedral, the first of its kind in the country.