Monastery of Batalha
The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/264
The Monastery of Batalha is a Dominican convent and a masterpiece of Gothic art. Its late Gothic architecture is intermingled with the Manueline style. The ornate convent has been put up in limestone. It amazes the onlooker with its profusion of gables, spires, pinnacles and buttresses.
The convent was built to thank the Virgin Mary for the Portuguese victory over the Castilians in the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It took over a century to build, starting in 1386 and ending circa 1517, spanning the reign of seven kings. It took the efforts of fifteen architects.
The Monastery's Founder's Chapel (Capela do Fundador) became the first royal pantheon in Portugal. It holds the tombs of king João I and his wife Philippa of Lancaster, and their sons prince Dom Pedro, Henry the Navigator, Dom João and Dom Fernando.
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/batalha.html
No comments:
Post a Comment