Batalha Monastery

The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, also known as the Monastery of Batalha, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful works of Portuguese and European architecture.
This exceptional architectural ensemble was the result of a promise made by King João I in gratitude for his victory at Aljubarrota, a battle fought on August 14, 1385, which secured his throne and guaranteed Portugal’s independence.

The work lasted more than 150 years, through various construction phases. This duration justifies the existence, in its artistic proposals, of (predominantly) Manueline Gothic solutions and a brief Renaissance touch. Several additions were made to the initial project, resulting in a vast monastic complex that currently features a church, two cloisters with attached dependencies and two royal pantheons, the Founder’s Chapel and the Imperfect Chapels.
In the possession of the Dominicans until the extinction of the religious orders in 1834, the monument was later incorporated into the Public Treasury and is today under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC), making it a cultural, tourist and devotional space.

A national monument, it has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1983.