Convent of Saint Mary of the Victory

rgo Infante Dom Henrique - 2440-109 Batalha
Phone: (+351) 244.765.497

URL: Convent of Saint Mary of the Victory

Convent of Saint Mary of the Victory
Better known as Batalha (battle) Monastery (Mosteiro da Batlha), the Convento de Santa Maria da Vitória is a memorial of the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota, against the armies of Castile, in the decisive clash that ensured the maintenance of the Portuguese independence in 1385.

Also a Royal pantheon, its construction began in the late fourteenth century, under the patronage of King João I, and lasted until about 1517, spanning the rule of seven kings.

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2007, the former Dominican monastery is the most significant example of the Portuguese Gothic, and its vast dependencies are an excellent example of the evolution of medieval architecture until the early sixteenth century, from the unprecedented experience of late Gothic to decorative profusion of the Manueline style.