The Military Order of Christ is a Portuguese honorific order. It is the former order of

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

as it was reconstituted in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. Before 1910, it was known as the Royal Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was founded in 1318, with the protection of King Denis of

, after the Templars were abolished on 22 March 1312 by the

papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

, ''

Vox in excelso ''Vox in excelso'' ("A voice on high") is a bull issued by Pope Clement V on 22 March 1312. The directives given within the bull were to formally dissolve the Order of the Knights Templar, effectively removing papal support for them and revoking ...

'', issued by

Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...

. King Denis refused to pursue and persecute the former knights as had occurred in most of the other sovereign states under the political influence of the Catholic Church. Heavily swayed by

Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...

, Pope Clement had the Knights Templar annihilated throughout France and most of Europe on charges of

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

, but Denis revived the Templars of

Tomar Tomar (), also known in English as Thomar (the ancient name of Tomar), is a Portugal, Portuguese city and a municipality in the historical Ribatejo Portuguese Provinces of Portugal, province, and in Santarém District, Santarém district. The to ...

as the Order of Christ, largely for their aid during the ''

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

'' and in the reconstruction of Portugal after the wars. Denis negotiated with Clement's successor,

John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by the Conclave of ...

, for recognition of the new order and its right to inherit the Templar assets and property. This was granted in a papal bull, ''Ad ea ex quibus'', on 14 March 1319. There exists also a parallel

Supreme Order of Christ The Supreme Order of Christ () is the highest order of chivalry that can be awarded by the Pope. No appointments have been made since 1987 and following the death in 1993 of the last remaining knight, King Baudouin of Belgium, the order became do ...

of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

, the Order of Christ of the

House of Orléans-Braganza The House of Orléans-Braganza ( Portuguese: ''Casa de Orléans e Bragança'') is by legitimacy, the imperial house of Brazil formed in 1864, with the marriage of the heir to the Brazilian throne, Isabel of Braganza with Prince Gaston, Coun ...

, and the Order of Christ of Kongo.

History

The order's origins lie in the

, founded circa 1118. The Templars were persecuted by the king of France and eventually disbanded by the pope in 1312. King

Denis of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal from 1279 until his death in 1325. Dinis was the eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second ...

created the Order of Christ in 1318 for those knights who survived their mass slaughter throughout Europe and was confirmed by the papal bull ''Ad ea ex quibus'' issued by

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Papacy, Avignon Pope, elected by ...

in Avignon in March 1319. The bull was issued at the request of Denis so that the newly created order could succeed the order of the Temple, which had been dissolved in 1311 by

. The Templars’ assets were thus assigned to the new order of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which had its first headquarters at the church of Santa Maria do Castelo, in

Castro Marim Castro Marim (), officially the Town of Castro Marim (), is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,747, in an area of 300.84 km2. The current mayor is Francisco Amaral, elected ...

. In 1356, the headquarters moved to the

castle of Tomar Tomar Castle is a Monuments of Portugal, national monument in the Santarém District of Portugal. Built on a hill above the town of Tomar and the Nabão River, river Nabão on land donated by King Afonso Henriques it was the Portuguese headquart ...

, the former seat of the order of the Temple in Portugal. At the time, it was a strictly religious order, with the pope as its sovereign and its grand masters being professed knights bound by a vow of poverty. The first grand master was Gil Martins, who was also master of Avis at the time. A crucial moment for the order’s future came with the appointment of Prince Henry, duke of Viseu, as “governor and administrator". The Prince, who held much of the kingdom’s land, could not take a vow of poverty, which is why this new title was created. Since the Prince was responsible for administering the order's assets, it is no surprise that it's considerable resources were used in the discoveries. The Cross of Christ, symbol of the order, sailed across the seas, raised on the sails of Portuguese caravels, becoming one of the most recognized national symbols. The Portuguese Crown thus exercised full control over the order of Christ, even though the Holy See continued to treat it as a religious order. For this reason, the order came to exercise not only spiritual administration over the discovered territories but also temporal administration, which gave it remarkable strength. The order’s administration remained tied to the Crown for circumstantial reasons. Prince Manuel of Portugal was governor of the order when he was acclaimed King Manuel I. Through the bull ''Constante fide'', Manuel I became the first king to also be grand master of the order of Christ. However, it was only during the reign of King

John III of Portugal John III ( ; 6 June 1502 – 11 June 1557), nicknamed The Pious ( Portuguese: ''o Piedoso''), was the King of Portugal and the Algarve from 1521 until he died in 1557. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of ...

that the masterships of the military orders were granted ''in perpetuum'' to the Portuguese Crown by

Pope Julius III Pope Julius III (; ; 10 September 1487 – 23 March 1555), born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 February 1550 to his death, in March 1555. After a career as a disting ...

. The bull ''Praeclara Clarissimi'', dated November 30, 1551, made the administration of the orders hereditary, marking a separation from the Holy See that would be confirmed by future developments. It is common to find portraits of Portuguese kings wearing the insignia of the order of Christ, attesting to the order's significance throughout the centuries. With the reform by

Maria I of Portugal '' Dona'' Maria I (Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana; 17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) also known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 until her de ...

, enacted by the royal charter of June 19, 1789, monarchs began to wear the

Sash of the Three Orders A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the human body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else encircling the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, ...

. As for the order of Christ, the law made it clear that it's members continued to take precedence over those of the orders of Avis and of Saint James of the Sword. There was also a clear concern in stating that this should not lead to the conclusion or claim that the grand crosses of Saint James were inferior to those of Christ. The royal charter also defined the purposes to which the order of Christ would be associated in the future: “The highest political, military, and civil posts and offices, if merited by service, shall be adorned with the habit of the order of Christ”. The undeniable prestige of the order—as successor to the Order of the Temple and a driving force behind the discoveries—thus continued in its role as an honorary order, bestowing honors upon those holding the highest offices in the country. Abolished by the decree of October 15, 1910, along with the “ancient noble orders,” it was reinstated by the decree of December 1, 1918, then intended “to reward outstanding services rendered by nationals or foreigners to the country or to humanity, both military and civilian.” In the 1962 and 1986 legislation, the Military Order of Christ remained associated with sovereign functions, especially in diplomacy, the judiciary, and public administration. Finally, in the 2011 legislation, the wording returned to the broader reference to the “exercise of sovereign functions.” In this context, throughout the 20th century, recipients of the Military Order of Christ included those holding the country’s highest offices, such as former presidents of the Assembly of the Republic, former prime ministers and ministers, and former military chiefs. During state visits, it is often awarded to the spouses of heads of state and occasionally to the heads of state themselves. This was the case with president Michelle Bachelet, honored by president Cavaco Silva in 2009. The Holy See, claiming that the Portuguese order had lost its religious character, took advantage of the 1905 reorganization of its own orders to claim such a symbolic name for itself. Thus, the grand collar of the Supreme Order of Christ was created, to be awarded to especially worthy catholic heads of state. There is currently no head of state bearing this order. It is worth noting that the grand collar has never been awarded to a Portuguese head of state, despite being granted to figures such as president

Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (; ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was an American-born Irish statesman and political leader. He served as the 3rd President of Ire ...

of Ireland, French presidents

Albert Lebrun Albert François Lebrun (; 29 August 1871 – 6 March 1950) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1932 to 1940. He was the last president of the Third Republic. He was a member of the centre-right Democratic Republica ...

and

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

, general

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...

of Spain, king Baudouin I of the Belgians, and several grand masters of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

Grades and badges

The Order of Christ, as awarded by the Portuguese government today, comes in six classes: * ''Grand Collar'' (GCol), which wears grand collar, the badge of the Order on a sash on the right shoulder, and the star of the Order in gold on the left chest. This rank was introduced in 2021. * ''Grand Cross'' (GCC), which wears the badge of the Order on a sash on the right shoulder, and the star of the Order in gold on the left chest; * ''Grand Officer'' (GOC), which wears the badge of the Order on a necklet, and the star of the Order in gold on the left chest; * ''Commander'' (ComC), which wears the badge of the Order on a necklet, and the star of the Order in silver on the left chest; * ''Officer'' (OC), which wears the badge of the Order on a ribbon with

rosette Rosette is the French diminutive of ''rose''. It may refer to: Flower shaped designs * Rosette (award), a mark awarded by an organisation * Rosette (design), a small flower design *hence, various flower-shaped or rotational symmetric forms: ** R ...

on the left chest; * ''Knight'' (CvC) or ''Dame'' (DmC), which wears the badge of the Order on a plain ribbon on the left chest.

Insignia

* The ''grand collar'' is formed by simple crosses of the Order, alternating and linked with armillary spheres, gilded, suspended by a double chain of simple links, gilded; in the center, two interlocked branches of ''

quercus coccifera ''Quercus coccifera'', the kermes oak or commonly known as Palestine oak, is an oak shrub or tree in section '' Ilex'' of the genus. It has many synonyms, including ''Quercus calliprinos''. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern ...

'', gilded; the necklace, all in gold, has the cross of the Order hanging, profiled in gold, surrounded by a festoon, of open cut, of laurel leaves with its fruits, tied with crossed ribbons on the tops and sides, also in gold. * The ''badge'' of the Order is a gilt cross with enamel, similar to the Order's emblem illustrated here, but with a longer lower arm. During the monarchy there were separate badges for civil and military knights: civil knights wore a badge similar to the modern version, but with the

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus () is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus Christ is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devotion to Christ is p ...

of Christ above it; military knights had a completely different insignia, this being a gilt, blue and white enamelled

Maltese Cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which develope ...

with white enamelled oval shields (each bearing a design similar to the

Coat of arms of Portugal The coat of arms of Portugal also referred, in Portugal, as the ''quinas'' are the main heraldic insignia of Portugal. They are used by the Portuguese Armed Forces, military and the Government of Portugal, government, including the courts. Ther ...

minus the red border) between the arms of the cross, the whole surrounded by a wreath of

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera **Palm oil * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music ...

; the central disc was in white enamel, with a miniature of the modern badge in it; the badge was topped by a gilt crown. * The ''star'' of the Order has 22 asymmetrical arms of rays, in gilt for Grand Cross and Grand Officer, and in silver for Commander. The central disc is in white enamel, with a miniature of the modern badge in it. During the monarchy the Sacred Heart of Christ was placed at the top of the star. * The ''ribbon'' of the Order is plain red.

People associated with the Order of Christ

Grand Masters

Henry the Navigator Princy Henry of Portugal, Duke of Viseu ( Portuguese: ''Infante Dom Henrique''; 4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator (), was a Portuguese prince and a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese ...

(Grand Master) *

Manuel I Manuel I may refer to: *Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos (; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Latinized as Comnenus, also called Porphyrogenitus (; " born in the purple"), was a Byzantine emperor of the 12th century who reigned ov ...

(Grand Master) * Infante Ferdinand (Grand Master) *

Sebastian of Portugal Sebastian ( ; 20 January 1554 – 4 August 1578) was King of Portugal from 11 June 1557 to 4 August 1578 and the penultimate Portuguese monarch of the House of Aviz. He was the son of João Manuel, Prince of Portugal, and his wife, Joanna of Aus ...

(Grand Master)

Others

* John Alexander Fladgate (Commander) *

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama ( , ; – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and nobleman who was the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India, first European to reach India by sea. Da Gama's first voyage (1497–1499) was the first to link ...

(also to the

Order of Santiago The Order of Santiago (; ) is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the patron saint of Spain, ''Santiago'' ( St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgrims on the Way of S ...

before) *

Pedro Álvares Cabral Pedro Álvares Cabral (; born Pedro Álvares de Gouveia; ) was a Portuguese nobleman, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil. He was the first human in history to ever be on four continents, ...

João Gonçalves Zarco João Gonçalves Zarco ( 1390 – 21 November 1471) was a Portuguese explorer who established settlements and recognition of the Madeira, Madeira Islands, and was appointed first captain of Funchal by Henry the Navigator. Life Zarco was born in ...

Gonçalo Velho Cabral Gonçalo Velho Cabral ( 1400 – c. 1460) was a Portuguese monk and Commander in the Order of Christ, explorer (credited with the discovery of the Formigas, the re-discovery of the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel in the Azores) and hered ...

Bartolomeu Dias Bartolomeu Dias ( – 29 May 1500) was a Portuguese mariner and explorer. In 1488, he became the first European navigator to round the Cape Agulhas, southern tip of Africa and to demonstrate that the most effective southward route for ships lies ...

* D. Beatrice *

Francisco de Almeida '' Dom'' Francisco de Almeida (; c. 1450 – 1 March 1510), was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Gran ...

* Miguel Corte-Real *

Gaspar Corte-Real Gaspar Corte-Real (1450–1501) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Exploration, explorer who, alongside his father João Vaz Corte-Real and brother Miguel Corte-Real, Miguel, participated in various exploratory voyages sponsored by the Portuguese ...

Tristão da Cunha Tristão da Cunha (sometimes misspelled Tristão d'Acunha; ; c. 1460 – c. 1540) was a Portuguese explorer and naval commander. In 1514, he served as ambassador from King Manuel I of Portugal to Pope Leo X, leading a luxurious embassy present ...

Martim Afonso de Sousa Martim Afonso de Sousa ( – 21 July 1564) was a Portuguese '' fidalgo'', explorer and colonial administrator. Life Martim Afonso de Sousa was born in Vila Viçosa, and had been raised in the Duke of Bragança household and was a personal fri ...

João de Castro D. João de Castro (27 February 1500 – 6 June 1548) was a Portuguese nobleman, scientist, writer and colonial administrator, being the fourth Portuguese Viceroy of India from 1545 to 1548. He was called Strong Castro () by the poet Luís de C ...

Cristóvão da Gama Cristóvão da Gama ( 1516 – 29 August 1542), anglicised as Christopher da Gama, was a Portugal, Portuguese military commander who led a Portuguese army of 400 musketeers to assist Ethiopia that faced Islamic Jihad from the Adal Sultanate led ...

Tomé de Sousa Tomé de Sousa (1503–1579) was the first governor-general of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1549 until 1553. He was a nobleman and soldier born in Rates, Póvoa de Varzim. Sousa was born a noble and participated in military expeditions i ...

Fernão de Magalhães Fernão is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 1,727 (2020 est.) in an area of 101 km2. The elevation is 558 m. Media In telecommunications, the city was served by Telecomunicações de São Paulo. In July 1 ...

, also known as Ferdinand Magellan (also to the Order of Santiago) *

Vicente Sodré Vicente Sodré (c. 1465 – 30 April 1503) was a 16th-century Anglo Portuguese knight of Order of Christ and the captain of the first Portuguese naval patrol in the Indian Ocean. He was an uncle of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Back ...

Damião de Góis Damião de Góis (; February 2, 1502January 30, 1574), born in Alenquer, Portugal, was an important Portuguese humanist philosopher. He was a friend and student of Erasmus. He was appointed secretary to the Portuguese factory in Antwerp in 152 ...

Pedro Teixeira Pedro Teixeira (b.1570-1585 - d.4 July 1641), occasionally referred to as the Conqueror of the Amazon, was a Portuguese conquistador and military officer, who became, in 1637, the first European to travel up and down the entire length of the Am ...

Alexandre de Gusmão Alexandre de Gusmão (17 July 1695 in Santos – 9 May 1753 in Lisbon) was a Colonial Brazilian diplomat. He is regarded as one of the best diplomats of his time, chiefly for his role in negotiating the Treaty of Madrid in 1750 (revoked in 17 ...

* Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira * Henrique Dias *

António Filipe Camarão Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language–speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popul ...

* Jácome Ratton * Albert Coyette *

Louis-Nicolas Davout Louis-Nicolas d'Avout (; 10 May 1770 – 1 June 1823), better known as Davout, 1st Prince of Eckmühl, 1st Duke of Auerstaedt, was a French people, French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolution ...

Jean-Baptiste Bessières Jean-Baptiste Bessières, duc d'Istrie (; 6 August 1768 – 1 May 1813) was a French military leader of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was made a Marshal of the Empire by Emperor Napoleon in 1804. Born into the ''petit ...

* Albert Guille *

Guillaume Delcourt Guillaume Delcourt (31 March 1825 – 2 February 1898) was a Belgian Royal Navy officer, navigator, naval engineer and maritime advisor to Leopold II of Belgium, King Leopold II. He was one of the major players of early Belgian colonial empire, B ...

* Ângelo Moniz da Silva Ferraz, Baron of Uruguaiana *

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

(Grand Cross) * Jules Ernest Renoux *

Leonor, Princess of Asturias Leonor, Princess of Asturias (; born 31 October 2005) is the heir presumptive, heiress presumptive to the Spanish throne. She is the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. Leonor was born during the reign of her paternal grandf ...

(Grand Cross)

Locations associated with the Order of Christ

(seat of the order before 1357) *

Convento de Cristo The Convent of Christ () is a former Catholic convent in Tomar, Portugal. Originally a 12th-century Knights Templar, Templar Fortification, stronghold, when the order was dissolved in the 14th century the Portuguese branch was turned into the Or ...

Belém Tower Belém Tower (, ; literally: Bethlehem Tower), officially the Tower of Vincent of Saragossa, Saint Vincent () is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers a ...

Castle of Almourol The Castle of Almourol is a medieval castle atop the islet of Almourol in the middle of the Tagus River, located in the civil parish of Praia do Ribatejo, from the municipal seat of Vila Nova da Barquinha, in Portugal's Oeste e Vale do Tejo re ...

Castle of Monsanto The Castle of Monsanto () is a Middle Ages, medieval castle located in the Freguesia (Portugal), civil parish of Monsanto e Idanha-a-Velha, in the Concelho, municipality of Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal, Portuguese Castelo Branco (district), district o ...

* Castle of Castelo Branco * Sagres (death place of Prince Henry)

Entities using the cross of the order in their insignia

Brazilian Football Confederation The Brazilian Football Confederation (, CBF) is the governing body of football in Brazil. It was founded on Monday, 8 June 1914, as , and renamed Confederação Brasileira de Desportos in 1916. The football confederation, as known today, sepa ...

Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses (), commonly known as Os Belenenses or simply Belenenses, is a Portuguese sports club best known for its football team. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest Portuguese sports clubs. It is based in the 19,856 ...

(Portugal) * Futebol Clube Cesarense *

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

* National Corps of Scouts - Portuguese Catholic Scouting *

Olympic Committee of Portugal The Olympic Committee of Portugal ( ; acronym: COP) is a non-profit organisation of public utility, which serves as the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for Portugal. It was founded on October 26, 1909, to ensure a timely, methodical and state-spo ...

Portuguese Air Force The Portuguese Air Force () is the air force, aerial warfare force of Portugal. Locally it is referred to by the acronym FAP but internationally is often referred to by the acronym PRTAF. It is the youngest of the three branches of the Portuguese ...

* Portuguese Athletic Federation *

Portuguese Football Federation The Portuguese Football Federation ( , FPF) is the governing body of Association football, football in Portugal. The federation was formed in 1914 as Portuguese Football Union (, UPF) by the three existing regional associations of Lisbon Footbal ...

Portuguese Navy The Portuguese Navy (), also known as the Portuguese War Navy (''Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa'') or as the Portuguese Armada (''Armada Portuguesa''), is the navy of the Portuguese Armed Forces. Chartered in 1317 by King Dinis of Portugal, it is ...

* Portuguese Roller Sports Federation * Flag of the city of São Paulo (Brazil) * Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama (Goa, Índia) *

CR Vasco da Gama Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama (; English: Vasco da Gama Club of Rowing), commonly referred to as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although originally a rowing club and then a multi-sport club, Va ...

(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Explanatory notes

Citations

General and cited references

* Guimarães, J. Vieira, ''A Ordem de Cristo'', Lisboa, I.N., 1936 * Olival, Fernanda, ''The Military Orders and the Portuguese Expansion (15th to 17th Centuries)'', ''Portuguese Studies Review'' Monographs, Vol. 3, Peterborough: Baywolf Press and The Portuguese Studies Review, 2018. ; Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Order Of Christ (Portugal) 1318 establishments in Europe 14th-century establishments in Portugal Knights Templar