Pre-trip work!

 April 22, 2025   Fatima and Tomar; the City of the Knights Templar

It was an ambitious day!  We had two destinations planned out approximately 40 minutes apart. We left the apartment at 8:30, took an Uber to the train station, had a 1.5 hour train ride to a station 20 minutes out of Fatima. That's as close as we could get to Fatima by train. We naively thought there were be shuttles or buses of some sort, taking tourists into Fatima especially right after Easter. There wasn't. 😏 We inquired with one lone taxi parked and waiting, but he didn't have room for six of us, so we called for an Uber that fit some of us and also hired the taxi. Finally, we arrived and it was worth it! 

Here is an article from Our Lady of Fatima in Albuquerque, New Mexico explaining the Marion apparition to three children in 1917 in Portugal.  https://fatimachurchabq.org/our-lady-of-fatima-miracle

Train platform.

On our way to Fatima!

Through the countryside.

Figuring out our next step at the train station 20 minutes out of Fatima. 

Countryside outside of Fatima. I was picturing 3 shepherd children caring for their flock. 

The plaza that includes the spot where Mary appeared to the three children from May-October 1917 on the 13th day of each month.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Inside the Basilica.

Tombs of Francisco (died at 11yrs old) and Jacinta (died at 10 yrs old). 

Tomb of Lucia (died at 98 yrs old in 2005).

The statue of Mary marks the actual spot on which she appeared to the children.

We were on the side of the monument where we joined in with the 12:00 rosary recited in Portuguese as best we could. Rosaries and Mass are offered through out the day.

We took a few minutes to take it all in before we moved on to Tomar.

We weren't able to stay as long as we would have liked because of the train schedule.

Next stop, Tomar and the Knights Templar! Here is a link to brush up on your history. (I had to as well!)  https://templarknights.eu/about-the-knights-templar/

The Castle de Tomar was a sprawling complex and we wished we had more time for it, but we covered what we could and loved it! It's a bit rambling because additions were made from 1160-1688. I have a lot of pictures!

Coming along the outside wall.

Through the arch. There is ALWAYS an arch. 😉

The approach to the entrance. Can't you picture knights and horses right about now?

Pretty imposing!

Getting close to the front door.

Here's where it looks like an addition was popped right into the stately structure in 1531-1579 according to my pamphlet.

Over the entrance door.

Here's the whole layout.

So much of the architecture reminded us of Granada, Spain. 

Tile is big in Portugal.

This explains the picture below.

The washing cloister. There is a well in the center with four square tubs around it currently filled with plants.

The church is next and it will blow your mind! Here's something off the Lonely Planet site. "The Charola, the extraordinary 16-sided Templar church, thought to be in imitation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, dominates the complex. Its eastern influences give it a very different feel to most Portuguese churches; the interior is otherworldly in its vast heights – an awesome combination of simple forms and rich embellishment. It’s said that the circular design enabled knights to attend Mass on horseback. In the centre stands an eerily Gothic high altar, while wall paintings date from the early 16th century. A huge funnel to the left is an ancient organ pipe (the organ itself is long gone)." The ticket taker in the church said Napoleon sacked Tomar and burned the furniture and organ of the church. Only the one organ pipe remains.

The layout of the church and choir area.

The ceiling of the upper choir.

The round church.

The room is round. This is one side.

This is the other side. I'm a little unclear if the missing art was burned by Napoleon or at the conservators getting cleaned.

The center of the church.

More of the center.

The lower choir.

Another view of the lower choir.

Look back one picture at the framing of the window. This is one of the bases of the framing.

The Templar Cross.

One of the cloisters.

Explanation of the next two pictures.

Manueline window.

Along side the Manueline window.

Here are the cells (rooms) where the knights lived when not out on missions. The knights were also monks and took the vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

The hallway of the dormitory in one direction. The rooms were numbered above the door. The highest number I saw was 85.

Inside a typical cell. The room had a window for light.

This is the heating room. The dormitory was heated when needed. See the picture below.

Looking up the chimney above the fire.

Some green space inside the castle walls. This would have been used for food production and animals.

Very little of the castle was off limits to us. This circular staircase took us up another level.

Top of the circular staircase.

We are at the top.

Another courtyard. The model showed around six of these. You would get lost in this complex for about a week, if you lived here!

Another viewpoint of the Manueline window.

Explanation of the next few pictures.

Dining area. The tables and benches felt like marble. Very heavy!

The serving area.

The kitchen.

This area was wet with water dripping from the ceiling and tiny stalactites forming. This is the cistern that an aqueduct flowed into.   

If these stones could talk, what stories they would tell!

Our train ride home. 

The Knights Templar's motto, "Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam" (Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory).