Visit the Church of St. Mary of the groves (Tomar)

The Church of St. Mary of the groves, is situated in the parish of St. Mary of the groves on the left bank of the River Nabão. The temple, whose foundation dates from the twelfth century, was the seat of the Knights Templar in Portugal, having served as a pantheon of masters Templars. This temple, a National Monument since 1910, is one of the most emblematic examples of Gothic art in Portugal, having served as a model for churches of three ships built by the Manueline period.
The great importance of the church in medieval times is attested by the existence of a papal bull, even during the last Templar, which put the temple attached directly to the Pope and the Holy See, beyond the reach of any diocese. Later in 1455, a bull of Pope Callistus III became the mother of all churches of the discovered territories in Asia, Africa and America and being given the honor of the Cathedral.
The main façade has three bodies, which define the aisles. The central body includes gabletado the porch of four columns based on ogival archivolts capitelizadas, overwhelming him a magnificent rose window of twelve leaves three lobes. Gablete of the pediment, which involves the portal, is an engraved sign-Saimaa. In lateral bodies, separated from the core by two giants, ripping two cracks wicker three lobes and two-way mirror. The apse, flanked by giant cracks is torn by high warhead little pointed, widely that illuminate the main chapel. The south façade features a gallery run, the level of the ships, framed by Tuscan columns. In the churchyard stands a strong foundation medieval tower that serves as a bell, having the particularity to present separately from the church.

On the side of the letter, open up five chapels with stone arches sixteenth century, perfect round on pilasters with Ionic capitals. The chapels are interrelated, being lit by holes and covered with ribbed vaults, closures have different ornaments. The altars, masonry, are covered with polychrome tiles th century, with the exception of the third chapel, which is gilded. In these chapels, you can admire pictures of Santa Ana, sculpture of the late sixteenth century, St. Mary Magdalene and San Blas.
The chapel, which features a ribbed vault coverage, has two altars, and the limestone altar and the other of wood. In this chapel, admire is a sixteenth-century stone sculpture, exhibited at the altar, representing Our Lady of Milk and the renaissance of the small chest Bishop Diogo Pinheiro, sheltered under a arcosolium perfect round, with a coffered vaulted soffit and decorated with cherubs in archivolt. The side chapels, which is accessed through round arches broken, are lined with tiles of the standard type and feature masonry altars, whose front is covered with polychrome tiles. The chapel on the side of the epistle, known as the Chapel of Simon Black, has a ribbed vault tiled coverage, featuring an image of Our Lady of Conception on the altar. The chapel on the gospel is covered by a barrel vault and broken tile.
Some of the tombstones parietal, which are a bit scattered throughout the church, are noteworthy, especially that of D. Gualdim Parents and Master Martin Lawrence, both embedded in the garment of the second chapel on the epistle, the Master and D. Gil Martins, in the chapel, all of them with inscriptions in Gothic characters.