In the western region of Portugal, you will find the Monastery of Batalha. Formally called Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, it was built by King D. João I in gratitude for the victory in the Battle of Aljubarrota. The monastery is a national monument and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1983.
It is one of the most beautiful works of Portuguese and European architecture and its construction lasted over 150 years! As a result, in the monastery you will find artistic proposals from the Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance. The initial project suffered some changes and several additions were introduced over time.
The visit to the Batalha Monastery starts with the Church, which is open to all. However, there is more to see and you can purchase the ticket (the normal ticket costs 6. Euros) so you have access to the Cloisters, the Royal Pantheons, the Chapel of the Founded and the Imperfect Chapels.
Location
The monastery is located in the village of Batalha, municipality of Leiria, in the centre of Portugal. Depending on where you are from, you can reach the monument through these accesses:
- A8 Lisboa/Leiria
- A1 Lisboa/Porto – Fátima/Batalha exit
- A19 Leiria / Batalha
- IC2 Lisboa/Porto – Batalha exit
- IC9 Tomar/Nazaré – Battle exit
- Intercity buses (Largo 14 de Agosto, near the Mother Church)
When to visit
Any time of year is good to visit the Monastery of Batalha. The monument is open all year round except on January 1st, Easter Sunday, May 1st and December 25th.
Vila da Batalha: points of interest
The Batalha Monastery leads many to visit this town and places it in one of the main tourist routes of Portugal, especially for religious tourism. Very close to Batalha, you will find Fátima and if you walk a little further inland you will find Tomar with its convent. If you choose to go to the coast, you can visit Alcobaça, Óbidos and the beaches of Nazaré, São Martinho do Porto and São Pedro de Moel.
Back to the village of Batalha, near the monastery, you can visit the Igreja Matriz da Exaltação da Santa Cruz, the Chapel of Santa da Misericórdia and the Chapel of Senhora do Caminho. A few kilometres from the centre of the village, the Ponte da Boutaca and the Batalha de Aljubarrota Interpretation Centre (where it all began).
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