Mosterio de Santa Maria da Vitória
We left the Portuguese hinterland at the border with Spain and turned westwards towards more developed parts of Portugal. But the history of the incessant wars with Spain during medieval times followed us along our journey. We stopped at Mosterio de Santa Maria da Vitória, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
One of the decisive battles in Portugals struggle for independence from Castile was fought not far from Batalha in 1385. The Castilian king, Juan, invaded Portugal claiming its throne (based on his marriage to a Portuguese princess). Dom João, an illegitimate son of the Portuguese king Pedro I defeated the Castilians and became later king João I of Portugal. He had promised to raise a monastery to the Virgin Mary, if he won. The construction started in 1388 but wasn’t finally finished until 150 years later.
It is a stunning monastery due to both its size and its beauty, although a little over the top for the taste of our family. Arches with Manueline ornamentation surround a formal courtyard, where unfortunately some restoration work took place during our visit. Off one of the galleries surrounding the courtyard were the tombs of two unknown soldiers from World War I.
