Santarém, PT

Santarém Cathedral

Santarém Cathedral is a 17th century Jesuit church that was built on the site of the Royal Palace of Alcáçova Nova, which had been abandoned since the time of King John II (1481-1495). Later, with the expulsion of the Jesuits from Portugal (1759), by order of the Marquis of Pombal, the building became the seat of the Patriarchal Seminary after a donation from Mary I of Portugal (1777-1816), and remained so until the 20th century. When the Diocese of Santarém was created in 1975, the church was raised to the rank of cathedral.

About this building

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Monuments

Other nearby buildings

Medieval Synagogue

The synagogue in Tomar was constructed between 1430 and 1460. In the early 17th century the synagogue served as a Christian chapel and was classified as a national monument in 1921. The building was restored in 1923 and turned into a museum by the Portuguese government in July 1939. Since then the building is a small Jewish Museum Abraao Zacuto (Abraham Zacuto) that hosts several medieval tomb slabs from Portugal.

Monastery of Batalha

The Monastery of Batalha, is a Dominican monastery founded in 1386 under King John I of Portugal (1385-1433) in thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary for the victory over Castilian rivals in the battle of Aljubarrota (1383-1385). The monastery was built over two centuries until around 1563. It is a marvellous example of the Manueline style, which is why it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The monastery was also voted in 2007 as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It finally has the status of National Pantheon since 2016.

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