Tomar was the headquarters of the Order of the Temple in Portugal from the 1160s until it ceased to exist in 1312, and there is significant evidence of the Templars’ presence in the city.
Founded at the beginning of the Christian era, under the name of Sellium, it bordered the Roman road that linked Bracara Augusta (Braga) to Olissipo (Lisbon), and was located on the right bank of the Nabão River. Called Selio by the Visigoths, it became the Muslim city of Thamara, until its territory was handed over to the Knights Templars by Afonso Henriques in 1159, following the donation of the surrounding area of Ceras Castle, as compensation for the unsuccessful grant of Santarém.
Attracted by the strategic location of the ancient Roman town, the Master of the Order of the Temple in Portugal, Dom Gualdim Pais, decided to build a castle on the site, where he also built the Templars’ headquarters and their monastic-military complex.
From Tomar, the Knights Templar administered a large part of the territories on the right bank of the Tagus River, where they built and controlled six castles, their main mission being to defend and consolidate the Portuguese territory, which was repeatedly threatened by the Muslims.
Apart from the castle, which was built according to the architectural canons introduced by the Order of the Temple, the greatest exponent of the Templars’ presence in Tomar is the Convent of Christ, which was completely remodelled in the 16th century and is considered to be one of the exponents of Manueline and Mannerist art in Portugal. Inside it is the Charola, an octagonal chapel of Romanesque origin with oriental influences, alluding to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
This monumental complex was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, being considered the largest area covered by a monument in Portugal and one of the largest in the world.
In addition to the Castle and the Convent of Christ, Tomar’s Templar legacy extends to the Santa Maria do Olival Church, a Romanesque-Gothic temple built in the 13th century, which is considered to be the pantheon of the Portuguese Templar Masters.

 

Timeline

1st century – foundation of the city of Sellium by the Romans: The origins of Tomar go back more than 30,000 years, as revealed by the various archaeological finds, however, it was the Romans who established the city of Sellium, or Seilium, on this site, bordering the Via XVI, which linked Bracara Augusta to Olissipo. After the Romans, the Visigoths occupied the city, naming it Selio.
712 – arrival of the Muslims in Thamara: with the dismemberment of the Visigothic kingdom, after the battle of Guadalete (711), the Muslims settled in the region, naming the city Thamara, which came to give rise to the name of Tomar and the river they called “Tamaramá”, which means “sweet waters”. In the place where the castle stands, they built a watchtower to watch over its surroundings.
1159 – King Afonso Henriques hands over the territory of Tomar to the Templars: After several years of negotiations with King Afonso Henriques, the Order of the Temple gave up possession of the city of Santarem – which was promised to them – receiving in exchange the Church of Santa Maria da Alcáçova of that city and the town and term of Ceras Castle, where the territory of Tomar was located.
1160 – Re-founding of Tomar by D. Gualdim Pais: Attracted by the strategic location of the ancient Roman town of Sellium, the Master of the Order of the Temple in Portugal, Dom Gualdim Pais, decided to build a castle there, where he also set up the Templar headquarters and the corresponding monastic-military complex, thus re-founding the settlement of Tomar. The castle and the Templar quarters were located on the highest part, while on the opposite side was the charola, the prayer area. The lowest part, to the south, was home to the village.
1190 – Siege of the city by Caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf II: Tomar Castle, a strategic location in the defence of the Tagus, would be the target of a powerful Muslim incursion, and was besieged by the Almohad caliph Iacube Almançor. The Knights Templar, led by D. Gualdim Pais, triumphed after three days of conflict, in what was probably the most significant military episode of this fortress.
1319 – Creation of the Order of Christ by King Dinis: following the extinction of the Knights Templar, decreed in 1312, King Dinis creates the Order of Christ, which would incorporate the members, goods and privileges of the extinct Order of the Temple, while safeguarding Tomar and its surrounding area.
Initially based in Castro Marim, near the estuary of the Guadiana River, the headquarters of the Order of Christ only returned to the city of Tomar in 1357, where it remained permanently.
1420 – Prince Henry the Navigator becomes the Administrator of the Order of Christ: Prince Henry was one of the most important figures in Tomar, which was considered his “favourite town”. Besides establishing the Convent of Christ, attached to the oratory of the Knights Templar, the Prince promoted the urban reform of the town, redesigning it according to Renaissance canons and regulating the course of the Nabão river, with the purpose of its hydraulic use. He also protected the Jewish community, which would play a fundamental role in Tomar’s development.
1510-1515 – King Manuel I reformed the Convent of Christ: With the intention of enhancing the role of the Order of Christ, he promoted the reformulation of its most emblematic place: the Convent of Christ. At that time, the temple, choir and sacristy were built to the west of the Charola (private oratory for the Knights), which would also see its decorative content significantly altered. It was executed by the masters Diogo de Arruda and João de Castilho in a decorative discourse celebrating the Portuguese maritime discoveries, with the famous window of the Chapter House on the western façade of the Manueline church standing out.
1581 – King Philip I holds the Cortes in Tomar: the Tomar Cortes (assembly of representatives of the realm estates) began on 16th April 1581, with the main purpose of swearing in Philip II of Spain as king of Portugal, before the three states assembled there. The acclamation of the king took place between the churchyard and the castle courtyard in a spacious tent covered with sailcloths. Inherently, the King of Portugal was also the Master of the Order of Christ, so he intervened in the Convent of Christ with the construction of the Pegões Altos aqueduct, the new sacristy, and the completion of the Diogo de Torralva cloister.
1759 – installation of the Royal Spinning Mill by the Marquis of Pombal: the Royal Spinning Mill was one of the first manufacturing units that were born from the industrial development plan promoted by the Marquis of Pombal. It was a project of the engineers Jácome Ratton and Timóteo Verdier and it became the largest factory of its kind in the country. It initiated the industrial flourishing of Tomar, where the Royal Silk Factory and, later on, the Royal Hat Factory came into being. The paper industry was also fundamental, with the installation of the Prado, Matrena, and Porto de Cavaleiros Factories.
1844 – Queen Maria II elevates the town to a city: Following the visit of Queen Maria II, in 1844, the town of Tomar was elevated to city status, becoming the first town in the district of Santarém to benefit from this status. This distinction was due to the influence of António Bernardo da Costa Cabral, whom the monarch made Count of Tomar, and who had settled in one of the wings of the Convent of Christ since 1838, overseeing the preservation of its heritage.
1910 – Manuel Mendes Godinho founds the Mill “A Portuguesa”: with the acquisition of the power plant, installed by the company Cardoso d’Argent in the former Pedro d’Évora Winepress, Manuel Mendes Godinho founded the Mill “A Portuguesa”, the basis of his great industrial enterprise, which was fundamental for the city’s development.
1983 – classification of the Castle and the Convent of Christ as World Heritage: acknowledging the uniqueness of the whole Templar Castle and the Convent of Christ, UNESCO classified them as World Heritage. Following that, a process of gradual restoration and enhancement of the city’s historic centre began, including the restoration of the Paraíso Cinema-Theatre, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and a large water sports compound.