This chronic is intended to "travel" by the monument of Our Lady of Victory, better known as the Batalha Monastery. One of the best architectural examples of the Gothic style in our country.
In the year of our Lord 1385 after 14 nights of August, the day before the Assumption of Our Lady the Spanish and the Portuguese prepared for a battle to decide who would stay with the Portuguese throne, in a moment of profound religious insight, Dom John, the master of Avis, made a vow to the virgin, if we win this battle, he would build a monument in her honor here. And that's how it all started ... This is the prelude of my guided tour of one of the most important monuments of the history of Portugal and one of the most emblematic of Gothic architecture in our country. Perhaps the world. Come on.
There are about 130 miles that separate the Lisbon form the Town of Battle, where the monastery is located. The first impression one gets upon arrival is that although there is a town around the monument it dominates the landscape, not by its greatness in terms of scale, imposes itself by its aesthetic beauty. It is richly decorated with a kind of lacework that enrich the set and in the end there's a warning, the gargoyles, the guardians of this temple.
It is a monument that seems to rise towards infinity. When we enter through the main entrance, are dominated by three vertical naves that are coverage in a vaulted ending the radiantly white and light central nave is decorated with stained glass windows that tell the story of the Crusades and with a curious detail, stars! The warheads are lavishly decorated with stylized plant motifs, sea creatures and an amyl sphere, symbol of the kingdom.
The founder's chapel, located on the right, has the tomb of the King, who caused the battle, John I, master of Avis, bastard son of D. Pedro I, in this eternal sleep accompanied by his consort, Dona Philipa of Lencastre, Queen of Portugal. Flanking the royal tombs in the south are the graves of their children. There's one in particular I want to highlight, the stone coffin of the infant, Henry the navigator. It was this royal prince who undertook the Portuguese maritime discoveries. As we go through more divisions, behold, they end up in the cloisters, though the origin of its construction is a battle, this temple was inhabited by Dominican friars. It is indeed ironic. In this inner space we are confronted with various monastic dependencies. But the most curious of our visit is yet to come. The entrance is through an exuberant richly carved stone door, remembers the Mudejar-inspired Arab, with 15 meters high, the so-called Manueline, referring to the brother of the navigator, El-Rei Dom Manuel, to the so called imperfect chapels. The monastery although built in the reign of King John I, was never truly done for centuries. The seven tops are one of those examples, octagonal, are connected by a smaller building that served to the monks as a sacristy. In fact, the temple is a confluence of various architectural styles, derived from the likes of the kings that were buried in this monument. It is above all a legacy of so-called generation of Avis, one of the most brilliant that ruled the kingdom of Portugal and for that alone deserves a visit.
