Tomar (), also known in English as Thomar (the ancient name of Tomar), is a city and a municipality in the Santarém district of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. The town proper has a population of about 20,000. The municipality population in 2011 was 40,677,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
/ref> in an area of .Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país
/ref> The town of Tomar was created inside the walls of the

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

, constructed under the orders of

Gualdim de Pais Dom Gualdim Pais (1118 – 13 October 1195), a Portuguese crusader, Knight Templar in the service of Afonso Henriques of Portugal. He was the founder of the city of Tomar. Biography Gualdim Pais was born in Amares (a town in the province of Minh ...

, the fourth Grand Master of the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

of Portugal in the late 12th century. Tomar was the last Templar town to be commissioned for construction and one of Portugal's historical jewels. The town was especially important in the 15th century when it was a center of Portuguese overseas expansion under

Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...

, the Grand Master of the Order of Christ, successor organization to the Knights Templar in Portugal.

Geography

Tomar lies in the most fertile region of Portugal, and one of the most fertile in the whole of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

: the

Ribatejo The Ribatejo () is the most central of the traditional provinces of Portugal, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the Tagus river (''Ribatejo'' translates to "upper Tagus", or more precisely, "up the Tagus" relative ...

("by the river

Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...

") meadows. It is located in the

district of Santarém A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

. The predominant landscape is agricultural, consisting of

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

and

fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

trees. The seat of the municipality is the city of Tomar, which comprises the parishes of Santa Maria dos Olivais and São João Batista. Tomar is also the capital of the

Médio Tejo The Comunidade Intermunicipal do Médio Tejo (; English: ''Middle Tagus'') is an administrative division in Portugal. It was created in December 2008, replacing the former ''Comunidade Urbana do Médio Tejo'' created in 2004. It takes its name fro ...

(Mid-

river) region. The

Nabão River The Nabão () is a river in Portugal. It rises in Ansião and passes through the city of Tomar before joining the Zêzere River — a course of about . It was known to the Romans as ''Nabanus''. Before entering the territory of Tomar Tomar (), ...

cuts across what was the ancient city of Nabantia: its inhabitants are called ''Nabantinos''.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 11 civil parishes (''

freguesias ''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...

''): * Além da Ribeira e Pedreira *

Asseiceira Asseiceira is a civil parish (''Freguesia'') in the municipality of Tomar, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 2,943,

* Carregueiros * Casais e Alviobeira *

Madalena e Beselga Madalena e Beselga is a civil parish in the municipality of Tomar, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Madalena Madalena is a feminine given name. It is a Portuguese form of Magdalene. It may refer to: People * ...

* Olalhas *

Paialvo Paialvo is a Portuguese ''freguesia'' ("civil parish") located in the municipality of Tomar. The population in 2011 was 2,599,Serra e Junceira Serra e Junceira is a civil parish in the municipality of Tomar Tomar (), also known in English as Thomar (the ancient name of Tomar), is a city and a municipality in the Santarém district of Portugal. The town proper has a population of abou ...

History

Under the modern city lies the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

city of ''Sellium''. After the conquest of the region from the

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

in the Portuguese

Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...

, the land was granted in 1159 as a

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

to the

Order of the Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

. In 1160,

Gualdim Pais Dom Gualdim Pais (1118 – 13 October 1195), a Portuguese crusader, Knight Templar in the service of Afonso Henriques of Portugal. He was the founder of the city of Tomar. Biography Gualdim Pais was born in Amares (a town in the province of Minh ...

, the Order's Grand master in Portugal and Tomar's somewhat mythical founder, laid the first stone of the Castle and Convent of the Knights Templar that would become the headquarters of the Order in Portugal. Local traditional legends preach that the choice was for mystical reasons and by divine inspiration, and from practices by the Grand Master of

geomancy Geomancy (Greek: γεωμαντεία, "earth divination") is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand. The most prevalent form of divinatory geomancy invo ...

, based on exercises taken from luck and predestination. Reinforcing this magical view is the setting of the site among a small chain of seven elevations (''lugar dos sete montes''), which became known as the ''city of seven hills'', as the seven hills of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, the

seven hills of Rome The seven hills of Rome ( la, Septem colles/montes Romae, it, Sette colli di Roma ) east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the city. Hills The seven hills are: * Aventine Hill (Latin: ''Collis Aventi ...

or the seven columns of

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

. The ''

foral 200px, Foral of Castro Verde - Portugal The word ''foral'' ({{IPA-pt, fuˈɾaɫ, eu, plural: ''forais'') is a noun derived from the Portuguese word ''foro'', ultimately from Latin ''forum'', equivalent to Spanish ''fuero'', Galician ''foro'', Ca ...

'' or feudal contract was granted in 1162 by the Grand Master to the people. The Templars ruled from Tomar a vast region of central Portugal which they pledged to defend from Moorish attacks and raids. Like many lords of the unpopulated former frontier region of central Portugal, the villagers were given relatively liberal conditions in comparison with those of the northern regions of Portugal, in order to attract new immigrants. Those inhabitants who could sustain a horse were obliged to pay military service in return for privileges. They were not allowed the title of

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

which was reserved to the

Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

s. Women were also admitted to the Order, although they did not fight. In 1190

Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur Abū Yūsuf Yaʿqūb ibn Yūsuf ibn Abd al-Muʾmin al-Manṣūr (; c. 1160 – 23 January 1199 Marrakesh), commonly known as Yaqub al-Mansur () or Moulay Yacoub (), was the third Almohad Caliph. Succeeding his father, al-Mansur reigned from 11 ...

, an

Almohad caliph The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire fou ...

, and his army attacked Tomar. However the knights and their 72-year-old leader,

, kept them at bay. A plaque commemorates this bloody battle at the Porta do Sangue at the Castelo Templário (Castle of Tomar). In 1314, under pressure from the

Pope Clement V Pope Clement V ( la, Clemens Quintus; c. 1264 – 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 de ...

, the order was suppressed.

Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (french: Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre as Philip I from 12 ...

, who owed the Templars huge debts, held the pope a virtual prisoner and coerced him to suppress the order on bases of false accusations and forced confessions. The Order was suppressed in most of Europe and its holdings were to be transferred to the

Knights Hospitaler The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headqu ...

. Instead, King

Dinis Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325 in Santarém), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile, an ...

negotiated the transfer of the Order's possessions and personnel in Portugal to a newly created Order of Christ. This Order moved in 1319 to

Castro Marim 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 by the Social Democratic Party. The mun ...

, but in 1356 it returned to Tomar. In the 15th century and thereafter, the (ordained) Grand Master of the Order was nominated by the Pope and the (lay) Master or Governor by the King, instead of being elected by the monks.

was made the Governor of the Order, and it is believed that he used the resources and knowledge of the Order to succeed in his enterprises in Africa and in the Atlantic. The

Order of Christ Cross The Cross of the Order of Christ (Portuguese: ''Cruz da Ordem de Cristo''), also known as the Cross of Christ (''Cruz de Cristo'') or the Portuguese Cross (''Cruz Portuguesa''), is a cross symbol of Portugal, originating in the Portuguese Order ...

was painted in the sails of the

caravels The caravel (Portuguese: , ) is a small maneuverable sailing ship used in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave it speed and the capacity for sailing win ...

that crossed the seas, and the

Catholic missions Missionary work of the Catholic Church has often been undertaken outside the geographically defined parishes and dioceses by religious orders who have people and material resources to spare, and some of which specialized in missions. Eventually, p ...

in the new lands were under the authority of the Tomar clerics until 1514. Henry, enriched by his overseas enterprises, was the first ruler to ameliorate the buildings of the

since its construction by Gualdim Pais. He also ordered dams to be built to control the

and swamps to be drained. This allowed the burgeoning town to attract more settlers. Henry ordered the new streets to be designed in a rational, geometrical fashion, as they can still be seen today. Convento Cristo December 2008-8

In 1438,

King Duarte Edward ( pt, Duarte (; 31 October 1391 – 9 September 1438), also called Edward the King Philosopher (''Duarte o Rei-Filósofo'') or the Eloquent (''o Eloquente''), was the King of Portugal from 1433 until his death. He was born in Viseu, the son ...

, who had fled

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

because of the

Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...

, died here. Just after 1492 with the

expulsion of Jews from Spain The Expulsion of Jews from Spain was the expulsion from Spain following the Alhambra Decree in 1492, which was enacted in order to eliminate their influence on Spain's large '' converso'' population and to ensure its members did not revert to Jud ...

, the town increased further with Jewish refugee

artisans An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art, s ...

and traders. The very large Jewish minority dynamized the city with new trades and skills. Their experience was vital in the success of the new trade routes with Africa. The original

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

still stands. In the reign of

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, a ...

the convent took its final form within the

Manueline The Manueline ( pt, estilo manuelino, ), occasionally known as Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese architectural style originating in the 16th century, during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. Manuel ...

renaissance style. With the growing importance of the town as master of Portugal's overseas empire, the leadership of the Order was granted to the King by the Pope. However, under pressure from the monarchs of Spain, the King soon proclaimed by

edict An edict is a decree or announcement of a law, often associated with monarchism, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". ''Edict'' derives from the Latin edictum. Notable edicts * Telepinu Proc ...

that all the Jews remaining within the territory of Portugal would be after a short period considered Christians, although simultaneously he forbade them to leave, fearing that the exodus of Jewish men of knowledge and capital would harm Portugal's burgeoning commercial empire. Jews were largely undisturbed as nominal Christians for several decades, until the establishment of a Tribunal of the

Portuguese Inquisition The Portuguese Inquisition (Portuguese: ''Inquisição Portuguesa''), officially known as the General Council of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Portugal, was formally established in Portugal in 1536 at the request of its king, John III. ...

by the initiative of the clergy in the town. Under persecution, wealthier Jews fled, while most others were forced to convert. Hundreds of both Jews and

New Christians New Christian ( es, Cristiano Nuevo; pt, Cristão-Novo; ca, Cristià Nou; lad, Christiano Muevo) was a socio-religious designation and legal distinction in the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire. The term was used from the 15th century ...

were arrested,

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...

d and about 1,000 were executed in autos da fé, in a frenzy of persecution that peaked around 1550. Many others (c. 38,000) were expropriated of their property or penance. Jewish ascendancy, more than Jewish religion, together with personal wealth determined who would be persecuted, since the expropriations reverted to the institution of the Inquisition itself. With the persecution of its merchants and professionals Tomar lost most of its relevance as a trading centre. New Christian names among the inhabitants are very common today. In 1581 the city was the seat of the

Portuguese Cortes In the Medieval Kingdom of Portugal, the Cortes was an assembly of representatives of the estates of the realm – the nobility, clergy and bourgeoisie. It was called and dismissed by the King of Portugal at will, at a place of his choosing.O'Ca ...

(feudal parliament) which acclaimed the King of Spain Felipe II as Portugal's Filipe I (see

Iberian Union pt, União Ibérica , conventional_long_name =Iberian Union , common_name = , year_start = 1580 , date_start = 25 August , life_span = 1580–1640 , event_start = War of the Portuguese Succession , event_end = Portuguese Restoration War , ...

). During the 18th century Tomar was one of the first regions of Portugal to develop industry. In the reign of

Maria I Dom (title), Dona Maria I (17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 until her death in 1816. Known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, she was the first undisputed queen regnant of Por ...

, with royal support, a textile factory of

Jácome Ratton Jacques or Jácome Ratton (7 July 1736 in Monestier de Briançon, Hautes-Alpes – 3 July 1820 in Paris) was a Franco-Portuguese businessman, who was a leading figure in the mainly foreign group of industrialists in 18th-century Portugal. He pub ...

was established against the opposition of the Order. The hydraulic resources of the river Nabão were used to supply energy to this and many other factories, namely paper factories, foundries, glassworks, silks and soaps. Tomar was occupied by the French during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

, against which it rebelled. The

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

, with his Portuguese and English troops, liberated the city afterwards. In 1834 all the religious orders, including the Order of Christ, were disbanded.

International relations

Tomar is twinned with: *

Emden Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528. History The exact founding date of E ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Attractions

Tomar attracts many tourists because of its varied monuments. These include: * Castle and Convent of the Order of Christ –

Unesco The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

: An ensemble of 12th to 16th century architecture and art, it is the main monument of the city and one of the most important in Portugal. *Aqueduct of Pegões – Built between 1503 and 1614 to bring water to the convent of Christ in Tomar under command of king Philip I, the aqueduct is 6 kilometers long and in places reaches a height of 30 meters. It is the biggest and most important construction of Philip I in Portugal. * Church of Santa Maria do Olival: This 13th century Gothic church was built as a burial ground for the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

and their treasure. *

Synagogue of Tomar The Synagogue of Tomar ( pt, Sinagoga de Tomar) is a well-preserved medieval synagogue in Tomar, Portugal. Along with the Synagogue of Castelo de Vide, it is one of two existing pre-expulsion synagogues in the country. It is located at 73 Rua Dr. ...

: the best preserved mediaeval

of Portugal (and one of two pre-expulsion Synagogues in the country), built in the mid-15th century the Jewish community of Tomar. Since 1939 it houses the Jewish Museum Abraão Zacuto, with pieces related to Jewish history in Portugal. * Church of Saint John the Baptist (''São João Baptista''): The main church of Tomar is located in the main square of the town, in front of the Municipality (17th century) and a modern statue of

. The church was built between the 15th and 16th centuries. In addition to its architectural interest it is noted for several panels painted in the 1530s by one of Portugal's most renowned Renaissance artists, Gregório Lopes. *Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception (''Nossa Senhora da Conceição''): Chapel built between 1532 and 1540 in pure Renaissance style, begun by

João de Castilho João de Castilho (1470–1552), also known as ''Juan de Castillo'' (Merindad de Trasmiera, Cantabria, c. 1470 — c. 1552)'','' was a Castilian and a notable Iberian architect born in Castillo Siete Villas, actually Arnuero (Cantabria). He i ...

and finished by Diogo de Torralva. It was intended to be the burial chapel of King John III. *Church and Convent of

Saint Iria Saint Irene of Tomar ( pt, Santa Iria) (c.635 – c.653) was a Christian who was martyred for her faith in Visigothic Portugal. Her parents, wishing to protect her, sent her to a convent school and a private tutor. The only times she left her hous ...

: An early 16th century building located near the Nabão river. * Museu dos Fosforos (Matchbox Museum) – The biggest private matchbox collection in Europe. * Museu de Arte Moderna – Colecção José Augusto França (art gallery) * Casa Museu Fernando Lopes Graça * Casa dos Cubos (art gallery) The streets and squares of the picturesque centre of Tomar are organised following a chessboard pattern, a rare feature for a mediaeval city, instituted by Prince Henry the Navigator, which later inspired the pattern used for the rebuilding of Lisbon after the earthquake in 1755. Scattered throughout the town there are many interesting houses with

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

and Romantic façades. By the river Nabão, near the bridge, there is a park and garden that offer views of the city and surroundings.

Schools and education

Tomar has several schools including primary, junior high school, high schools and a polytechnic. These include: * Escola do 1º Ciclo dos Templários – primary school * Escola do 1º Ciclo de Santo António – primary school * Escola do 1º Ciclo de Infante D. Henrique – primary school * Escola do Ensino Básico 2+3 Gualdim Pais – junior high school * Escola do Ensino Básico 2+3 D. Nuno Álvares Pereira – junior high school, former high school and the oldest one in the town. * Escola do Ensino Básico 2+3 de Santa Iria – junior high school * Escola Secundária Santa Maria do Olival – high school * Escola Secundária Jácome Ratton – high school * Instituto Politécnico de Tomar – polytechnic

Local festival and events

* '' Festa dos Tabuleiros'' (Trays Festival), an ancient tradition in Tomar, is the most important festival celebrated in the city, attracting people from all over the world. The festival is held every four years, the last being held in June and July 2015. The local population parades in pairs with the girls carrying ''tabuleiros'' on their heads. The ''tabuleiro'' is made of 30 stacked pieces of bread, either in 6 rows of 5 or 5 rows of 6, decorated with flowers. At the top of the ''tabuleiro'' is a crown which normally contains either a white dove, symbolising the Holy Spirit, or the ''esfera armilar'' (

armillary sphere An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (on the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centered on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of ...

), a symbol of the historical Portuguese maritime expansion. * ''Festa de Santa Iria'' * ''Nossa Senhora da Piedade'' (religious festival) - held on the first Sunday in September * ''Festival Estatuas Vivas de Tomar'' * Congress of Soups of Tomar * ''Festival Bons Sons'' (''Cem Soldos'') - one of the most popular portuguese music festivals * ''Festival Internacional de Tunas da Cidade de Tomar'' * ''Tomarimbando'' - ''Festival de Percussão de Tomar'' * ''Feira da Laranja Conventual'' * Beer Fest of Tomar * Summer fests in Tomar district – ''Serra Tomar'' is the largest one * Remember PimPim (1980s music festival) * Knights Templar Festival

Holidays

The municipal holiday day is March 1, and commemorates the day when the Templars' Master D. Gualdim founded the Templar City in 1160.

Local food specialities

* Fatias de Tomar * Beija-me depressa (kiss me quickly) - Estrelas Confeitery Almourol 034

Myths

*It is rumored that Tomar hides the world's greatest templar treasure. (Maurice Guinguand, ''L'or des Templiers: Gisors ou Tomar?'', 1973) *It is rumored that there is a secret passageway between the Santa Maria dos Olivais church and the Castle. *The

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 Centre Region. The cast ...

nearby is where several bad events (deaths and tragic love stories) have taken place and is supposed to be haunted by a princess.

Sports

União de Tomar União Futebol Comércio e Indústria de Tomar, or more commonly União de Tomar, is a Portuguese association football club formed on 4 May 1914 and based in the city of Tomar.Rugby Clube de Tomar – rugby * Tenis Clube de Tomar – tennis * Centro Hípico Quinta de Azinhais – hiking * Sporting de Tomar – roller hockey * SF Gualdim Pais – gymnastics, swimming * Ginasio Clube de Tomar – gymnastics * Associação Tomarense de Aviação Ultraligeira (ATAUL) – aviation * AeroCalminhas – model aircraft flying * Pantanal Club – Nutic modelism * Associação de Natação do Distrito de Santarém (headquarters in Tomar) – swimming * Motor Clube de Tomar – motocross and off-road * Clube TT Minjoelho – off-road * Automovel Clube de Tomar – car rallying * Clube Amadores de Pesca de Tomar – fishing * Clube de Caça e Pesca da Zona dos Templários – hunting and fishing * CALMA, Clube de Actividades de Lazer e Manutenção – running and riding * Clube Columbófilo Tomarense – Columbofilia * Grupo Desportivo da Nabância – canoeing * Aventura Templar - water sports, boat rental, sky, paintball, etc. *SCOCS (Sport Clube Operário Cem Soldos) – judo * Equine Assisted Training – communication, leadership and management training with horses * Volley – volleyball * Volley de Praia – beach volleyball (this is played in a court with sand as Tomar is landlocked)Beach Volleyball in the Beachless City of Tomar in Portugal
/ref>

Notable people

Fernando Tamagnini de Abreu e Silva in 1917

* Saint

Irene of Tomar Saint Irene of Tomar ( pt, Santa Iria) (c.635 – c.653) was a Christian who was martyred for her faith in Visigothic Portugal. Her parents, wishing to protect her, sent her to a convent school and a private tutor. The only times she left her hous ...

(c. 635 – c. 653), Christian martyr * Angela Tamagnini (1770–1827), smallpox vaccination pioneer, resisted the French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars *

Fernando Tamagnini de Abreu e Silva Fernando Tamagnini de Abreu e Silva (13 May 1856 in Tomar, Portugal – 24 November 1924 in Lisbon, Portugal) was a cavalry officer and general of the Portuguese Army. Biography He was born on 13 May 1856 in Tomar, Portugal. As a general, fro ...

(1856–1924), cavalry officer and general of the Portuguese Army *

Fernando Lopes-Graça Fernando Lopes-Graça, Order of St. James of the Sword, GOSE, Order of Infante D. Henrique, GCIH (17 December 1906 – 27 November 1994) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese composer, conductor and musicologist. Lopes-Graça was born in Tomar, and w ...

(1906–1994), composer, conductor and musicologist *

Nuno Viriato Tavares de Melo Egídio Nuno Viriato Tavares de Melo Egídio (Tomar, 18 February 1922 – Lisbon, 7 December 2011) was a Portuguese general. He served as Governor of Macau The governor of Macau ( pt, Governador de Macau; ) was a Portuguese colonial official who h ...

(1922–2011), general and

Governor of Macau The governor of Macau ( pt, Governador de Macau; ) was a Portuguese colonial official who headed the colony of Macau, before 1623 called captain-major ( pt, Capitão-mor). The post was replaced on 20 December 1999 upon the transfer of sovere ...

Isabel Ruth Isabel Ruth (born 6 April 1940) is a Portuguese actress. She has appeared in more than 50 films since 1963. She starred in '' River of Gold'', which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. Selected filmog ...

(born 1940), actress * João Henriques (born 1972), football manager * Ana Laíns (born 1979),

fado Fado (; "destiny, fate") is a music genre that can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado was ...

singer

Films shot in Tomar

* 2015 ''Cinzas e Brasas'', directed by Manuel Mozos, *2014 ''A Porta 21'', directed by João Marco (with Mário Spencer, Pedro Monteiro, Pedro Viegas) * 2011 ''Pão Nosso'', documentary directed by Mónica Ferreira and João Luz * 2009 ''Juan de Castillo constructor del mundo'', documentary directed by Alberto Luna Samperio (Etnocantabria) * 2009 ''La reine morte'', directed by

Pierre Boutron Pierre Boutron (born 11 November 1947 in Portugal) is a French actor and director. He is married to actress Magali Renoir. Biography Pierre Boutron is a well-known TV director. His ''Des enfants dans les arbres'' or ''Les Faux-fuyants'' was a g ...

(with Michel Aumont, Gaëlle Bona, Thomas Jouannet) * 2007 '"Teresa, el cuerpo de Cristo'', directed by Ray Loriga (with

Paz Vega María de la Paz Campos Trigos (born 2 January 1976), known professionally as Paz Vega (), is a Spanish actress. She became popular for her performance in comedy television series ''7 vidas''. Her film credits include ''Sex and Lucia'' (2001), ...

, Leonor Watling,

Geraldine Chaplin Geraldine Leigh Chaplin (born July 31, 1944) is an American actress. She is the daughter of Charlie Chaplin, the first of eight children with his fourth wife, Oona O'Neill. After beginnings in dance and modeling, she turned her attention to act ...

, Eusebio Poncela) * 2007 ''Infante D. Henrique'', documentary directed by José Francisco Pinheiro (with Gonçalo Cadilhe) * 2006 ''Coach Trip'', TV series directed by Amanda Wood (with Brendan Sheerin, Andy Love) * 2005 ''Pedro e Inês'', TV series (with Pedro Laginha, Ana Moreira,

Nicolau Breyner João Nicolau de Melo Breyner Moreira Lopes GOIH GOM (30 July 1940 – 14 March 2016), better known as Nicolau Breyner, was a Portuguese actor, screenwriter, producer, director and television host. He was one of the most well-known figures in ...

) * 2004 ''O Quinto Império - Ontem Como Hoje'', directed by

Manoel de Oliveira Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira (; 11 December 1908 – 2 April 2015) was a Portuguese film director and screenwriter born in Cedofeita, Porto. He first began making films in 1927, when he and some friends attempted to make a film about Wo ...

(with Ricardo Trêpa, Luís Miguel Cintra, Glória de Matos) * 2003 ''Volpone'', directed by Frédéric Auburtin (with Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Prévost, Gérard Jugnot, Robert Hirsch) * 2001 ''Quem És Tu?'', directed by João Botelho (with Patrícia Guerreiro, Susana Borges, Rui Morisson, Rogério Samora, José Pinto, Francisco D'Orey e Bruno Martelo) * 1985 ''Atlântida: Do Outro Lado do Espelho'', directed by Daniel Del Negro (with Luís Lucas, Teresa Madruga, Ruy de Carvalho) * 1922 ''A Sereia de Pedra'', directed by Roger Lion (scenes shot in June and July 1922 at the Convento de Cristo and Ruinas do Castelo dos Templarios)

References

External links

City Hall official websiteThe Synagogue of Tomar , The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot
{{authority control Tomar, Populated places in Santarém District 1160 establishments in Europe Municipalities of Santarém District 12th-century establishments in Portugal Knights Templar