Uncover Portugal’s medieval heritage in Óbidos, Batalha, Tomar, and Alcobaça. From castles and convents to monasteries and UNESCO World Heritage sites, this journey reveals the history, legends, and architectural marvels that define central Portugal.
00:00A nation full of ancient tales of queens and kings, medieval times, and conquering
00:08the Moors, the central region of Portugal offers a combination of history, culture,
00:13and adventure. I began my journey in the ancient town of Obidoche. A stone wall
00:21encloses the city lined with cobblestone streets and a castle that majestically
00:26sits on the top of the hill. Adventurers can actually climb and walk along the
00:32wall, at your own risk of course, or you can just explore along the cobblestone
00:38streets where you will start to see a theme here, books. Obidoche was declared
00:43the 19th UNESCO City of Literature in December of 2015, so you'll see books and
00:49bookstores everywhere.
01:05This is the castle of Obidoche. Now the village was overtaken in 1148 by the
01:11very first king of Portugal and as a gift to his wife he gave her this castle. Not
01:17bad. He actually set the bar pretty high. These days the castle is a luxury hotel
01:22and that's where we had dinner for a typical Portuguese meal. The Monastery of
01:30the Dominicans of Batalha is a gothic style cathedral built to commemorate the
01:35victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at a battle in 1385.
01:48It was the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries.
01:52There are several cloisters here, but only one is guarded. The tombs of the unknown soldiers.
02:11And every 30 minutes you can witness the tradition of the changing of the guards.
02:26The building was classified as a World Heritage Site and the
02:56building was built in 1983.
02:57Next, we're off to Tomar for the Convent of Christ.
03:09Originally designed as a monument symbolizing the reconquest, the Convent of the Knights of
03:17Templar of Tomar was originally created to protect the pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem.
03:22The UNESCO site is in great shape and is the largest in Portugal. It's also one of the largest in all of Europe.
03:29There are seven cloisters intended to be a replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
03:39And the ancient halls are full of stories of the monks who used to live there.
03:44Finally, my journey brings me to the Monastery of Alcobaca.
03:51It was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I.
03:58Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1989, this magnificent monastery is one of the finest and most impressive examples of Sestercian architecture in Europe.
04:11Though parts of this glorious building were destroyed by the French invasion, it remains an impeccable condition.
04:18The church is the largest primitive Gothic church in Portugal in the Middle Ages.
04:27Portugal has 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. My journey only took me to four.
04:34So for all of you lovers of history and culture, give yourself a little more time to explore the medieval sites that will take you back to a time that once was.
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