2-370-840 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Central octagonal vault, Founder's Chapel, 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 of Portugal 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 Founder's Chapel was designed by Master Huguet and was built between 1426 and 1434. It houses the tombs of John I and his queen, Philippa of Lancaster. The monastery was designated a World Heritage Site in 1983.