2-370-814 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Portal of the Unfinished Chapels (Capelas Imperfeitas), Monastery of Batalha, Batalha, Portugal, 2009. The Dominican Batalha Monastery (Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitoria de Batalha) is a magnificent example of medieval Portuguese architecture. In 1385, King John I vowed that if his outnumbered army defeated the Castilians at the important Battle of Aljubarrota, he would build a magnificent monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Construction of the monastery, which combines late Gothic and Manueline architectural styles, began in 1386 but was not completed until c1517. The Unfinished Chapels, also known as the Pantheon of King Duarte (Edward), consist of an octagonal building situated behind the chancel. Work on the chapels was commissioned by King Edward I, who intended them to be a mausoleum for himself and his descendants, in 1434. The portal was originally built in Gothic style but was transformed into a masterpiece of Manueline architecture by Mateus Fernandes in 1509. The monastery was designated a World Heritage Site in 1983.