Tomar - Castles, Conventos and Knights Templar - Part 2

The morning dawned dark and gray with intermittent showers and drizzle as we set out to visit the Templar Castle. During the 13th century, Tomar was one of the most powerful and influential towns in Portugal. Gualdim Pais, a nobleman, knight, and Crusader, founded Tomar and, as Grand Master of the Knights Templar, built the castle and convent between 1118-1160. His statue stands proudly in the Praça da República (Plaza of the Republic), Tomar’s large central plaza, which we passed frequently in our wanderings. Gualdim Pais, founder of Tomar and first Grand Master of the Knights Templar We climbed the steep hill to the castle once again and waited patiently for the doors to open, so we could buy our tickets before the onslaught of tourist buses arrived. We were pleasantly surprised when the admission fee for Seniors was only €7.50/pp, and only one busload of tourists had been offloaded. Widely considered the historical seat of the Knights Templar, the castle and its Convento de Cristo…