O Condado Portucalense foi um dos primeiros lugares de implantação dos templários. A partir de 1122, poucos anos após a fundação da Ordem do Templo em Jerusalém, alguns freires foram adquirindo propriedades na cidade e entorno de Braga. A entrada oficial no território portucalense sucederia, porém, em 1128, com a doação do Castelo de Soure, na linha do rio Mondego, pela condessa Dona Teresa. A partir de 1136, a Ordem do Templo instalar-se ia oficialmente em Portugal, tendo sido decisiva a participação dos templários portugueses na Batalha de Ourique, ao lado de D. Afonso Henriques, contra o emir almorávida Yusuf. Alguns anos depois, o Rei D. Afonso Henriques doaria os castelos de Penas Roias, Mogadouro e Longroiva aos templários, capacitando-os na missão de defesa e consolidação do território. Em 1147, na sequência da conquista da cidade de Santarém aos muçulmanos, D. Afonso Henriques doa a cidade à Ordem do Templo, em recompensa pelo auxílio militar, o que é imediatamente contestado pelo Bispo de Lisboa, Gilberto de Hastings, que tinha jurisdição eclesiástica sobre aquele território. Após alguns anos de negociações com o rei, a Ordem do Templo abdicaria de Santarém, recebendo como contrapartida o termo do castelo de Ceras, no qual viria a surgir a cidade de Tomar, que se tornaria na sede dos templários em Portugal. Com a ascensão de D. Gualdim Pais a Mestre da Ordem do Templo em Portugal, que governaria os templários entre 1156 e 1195, foi-lhe confiada a defesa da linha do Tejo, onde seriam edificados, com recurso às evoluídas técnicas construtivas templárias, os castelos de Pombal, Tomar, Almourol, Zêzere, Monsanto e Idanha. Após a extinção da Ordem do Templo, no ano de 1319, evitando a sua extinção e confisco dos seus bens, o Rei D. Dinis instituiu a Ordem da Milícia de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, para a qual transferiu os direitos pertencentes aos antigos templários portugueses, nomeadamente Castelo Branco, Longroiva, Tomar, Almourol, e de todos os castelos, bens móveis e de raiz, direitos ou jurisdições.

 CRONOLOGIA

DATA	Evento
1122-1127	The Templars acquire some property in the city of Braga and its surroundings.
1126-1128	Countess Dona Teresa donates the site of Fonte Arcada (Penafiel) to the Order of the Temple.
1128, 19th March	The Countess Dona Teresa donates Soure Castle, on the Mondego river line, to the Order of the Temple, presumably with the intention of obtaining military aid to defend and expand the territory.
1136	The Order of the Temple was officially established as a combatant troop in Portugal.
1139, 25th July	The Portuguese Templars took part in the Battle of Ourique alongside Afonso Henriques against the Almoravid emir Yusuf.
1145	King Afonso Henriques donated the castles of Penas Roias, Mogadouro, and Longroiva to the Knights Templar.
1147, 15th March	Conquest of the city of Santarém from the Muslims. As promised , Afonso Henriques donated the city to the Order of the Temple in return for military aid, which was immediately challenged by the Bishop of Lisbon, Gilberto de Hastings, who had ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the area.
1156	D. Gualdim Pais was ordained as Master of the Order of the Temple in Portugal.
1156	The Templars build the Pombal Castle.
1159	After several years of negotiations with King Afonso Henriques, the Order of the Temple gave up Santarém, receiving in exchange the Church of Santa Maria da Alcáçova in that city and the city and territory of Tomar.
1160	The Templars build the Tomar Castle.
1165, 30th November	Donation of the region of Idanha-a-Velha and Monsanto, with its limits, to the Knights Templars by Afonso Henriques.
1169	King Afonso Henriques hands over the castles of Zêzere (Vila Nova da Barquinha) and Cardiga (Golegã) to the Knights Templars.
1171	Construction of the Almourol Castle, to defend the Tagus River, by order of D. Gualdim Pais.
1172	Reconstruction of the Penas Roias Castle.
1174	Reconstruction of the Longroiva Castle.
1187	The Templars build the Idanha-a-Nova castle.

 

1190, 5th-11th July	Siege of the Tomar Castle by caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf II, with victory of the troops commanded by D. Gualdim Pais.
1198	King Sancho I donates Nisa-a-Velha to the Knights Templar.
1195, 13th October	D. Gualdim Pais, Master of the Order of the Temple in Portugal, died, and was buried in the Church of Santa Maria dos Olivais in Tomar.
1203, 23rd January	Donation of Idanha-a-Nova and confirmation of the donation of Idanha-a-Velha by King Sancho I.
1206	King Sancho I donates the Reguengo of Monsalude, Dornes, on the Zêzere river, to the Knights Templars.
1214	King Afonso II donates the land of Cardosa, where the Templars had built and populated the town of Castelo Branco.
1215	King Afonso II donates the Coruche Castle to the Knights Templar.
1217	The Muslims conquered Alcácer do Sal from an army led by Pedro Alvites, Master of the Order of the Temple in Portugal.
1299	The Knights Templar collaborate in the siege of Portalegre.
1303	King Dinis donates the Penha Garcia town and castle to the Knights Templar.
1306	The Templars receive the patronage of Alvaiázere, Vila de Rei, and Ferreira do Zêzere, in exchange for a plot of land in Santarém and the patronage of Trancoso to King Dinis.
1312	Pope Clement V abolished the Order of the Temple in the Church and throughout the world with the bull “Vox clamantis”, which transferred all the Templars’ possessions to the Hospitallers, except those of Portugal, Castile, Aragon, and Mallorca, which were to remain in the possession of the respective crowns until their fate was decided.
1319	To avoid their extinction and the confiscation of their property, King Dinis created the Order of the Militia of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to which he transferred the rights belonging to the former Portuguese Templars, namely Castelo Branco, Longroiva, Tomar, and Almourol, as well as all of the castles, movable and immovable property, rights, jurisdictions, honours, men, and vassals that had belonged to the suppressed order.

 

Templar masters in Portugal1

1126	1128	Guilherme Ricardo
1143	1154	Hugo Martónio
1154	1156	Pedro Arnaldes
1156	1195	Gualdim Pais
1195	1199	Lopo Fernandes
1199	1208	Fernão Dias
1210	1212	Gomes Ramires
1213	1227	Pedro Álvares do Alvito
1227	1228	Pedro Eanes
1228	1229	Martinho Sanches
1229	1237	Estevão de Belmonte
1237	1242	Guilherme Fulques
	1242	João Escritor
1242	1245	Martim Martins da Maia
1246	1252	Paio Gomes Barreto
1252	1263	Martim Nunes
	1261	Afonso Pais Gomes
1264	1268	Gonçalo Pais Martins
1274	1275	Beltrão de Valverde
1280	1293	Lourenço Martins
	1287	João Fernandes
1283	1289	Afonso Gomes
1295	1317	Vasco Fernandes

1 Updated version according to Paula Pinto Costa’s studies in “Templários em Portugal” (“The Templars in Portugal”), 2019.