2-377-136 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Convent of the Knights of Christ, Tomar, Portugal. Tomar was founded in the 12th century as headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal (transferred in the 14th century to the Knights of the Order of Christ). In order to establish an easy cohabitation between the town and the Convent of the Knights of Christ, the castle was built in three distinct walled enclosures, surrounded by an extensive outer wall. The largest enclosure, which faced southwards, was the walled town, whose gateway overlooked the area known as Sete Montes. In the 16th century, the town was emptied of its inhabitants and transformed into kitchen gardens and orchards for the monks of the Order of Christ. In recent times, the vegetable gardens have been replaced by the Parque do Laranjal, where can be found evidence of the old town in the stones of the doorways and windows that have been preserved by time. The Templar Castle and the Convent of the Knights of Christ were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1