Tomar is a city and a municipality in the Santarém district of Portugal. The town proper has a population of about 20,000.

The town of Tomar was born inside the walls of the Convento de Cristo, constructed under the orders of Gualdim de Pais, the fourth grand master of the Knights Templar in the late 12th century.

Tomar is one of Portugal’s historical jewels and, more significantly, was the last Templar town to be commissioned for construction. Tomar was especially important in the 15th century when it was a center of Portuguese overseas expansion under Henry the Navigator, the Grand Master of the Order of Christ, successor organization to the Templars in Portugal.

Tomar lies in the most fertile region of Portugal, and one of the most fertile in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula: the Ribatejo (“by the river Tagus“) meadows. It is located in the district of Santarém. The predominant treescape is agricultural, consisting of olive, pine and fig 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 (Mid-Tagus river) region.

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

Attractions

Tomar attracts many tourists because of its varied monuments. These include:

• Castle and Convent of the Order of Christ – Unesco World Heritage Site

Magnificent 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 – It was built in the sixteenth century and 17th century to bring water to the convent of Christ in Tomar under command of king Philip I. It’s an amazing monument with 6 kilometers, and in places it reaches a height of 30 meters. The construction started in 1593 and finished in 1614 and it is the biggest and most important construction of the Philip I kingdom in Portugal. You can take the small “train tour bus” in the city center that takes you to the highest point of the monument.
• Church of Santa Maria do Olival: This Gothic church (13th century) was built as burial ground for the Templar Knights and their treasure. The great importance of the church in medieval times is proven by the existence of a papal bull, even during the last period Templar, who put this temple is directly dependent on the Pope, outside the purview of any diocese. Later, through two bulls, one of Pope Nicholas V (1454) and another of Pope Callistus III (1456), was granted or obligation given to the Order of Christ to establish the spiritual duty on all lands found by the Kingdom of Portugal, territories as “DIOCESIS nullius”, making this See of all the parish churches of the territories found in Asia, Africa and America mother and being given the honor of the cathedral.
• Synagogue of Tomar: Tomar has the best preserved mediaeval synagogue of Portugal. It was built in the mid-15th century by Prince Henry The Navigator, and has an interesting interior with Gothic vaulting and columns with classic capitals. Since 1939 it houses the small Jewish Museum Abraão Zacuto, with interesting 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 Gualdim Pais. The church was built between the 15th and 16th centuries and has many interesting artistic details, like the flamboyant Gothic portal, the Manueline tower with a 16th-century clock, the decorated capitals of the inner columns of the nave and several panels painted in the 1530s by one of Portugal’s best 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 and finished by Diogo de Torralva. It was intended to be the burial chapel of King John III. Its beautiful and clear architecture turns it into one of the best early Renaissance buildings in Portugal. It’s one of the first Maneirist Monuments of all Europe.
• Church and Convent of Saint Iria: Located near the Nabão river, this early 16th-century building has a nice Renaissance portal and altar, as well as Manueline architectonic details.
• 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, Baroque and Romantic façades. By the river Nabão, near the bridge, there is a park and garden that offer nice views of the city and surroundings.

Myths

• It is rumored that Tomar hides the world’s greatest templar treasure (L’or des Templiers: Gisors ou Tomar? Maurice Guinguand, 1973)
• It is rumored that there is a secret passageway between the Santa Maria dos Olivais church and the Castle.
• The Castle of Almourol nearby is where several bad events (deaths and tragic love stories) have taken place and is supposed to be haunted by a princess.^[5]

Schools and Education

Tomar has several schools including primary, junior high school, high schools and a Politechnic. 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– Politechnic

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 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), a symbol of the historical Portuguese maritime expansion.
• Festa de Santa Iria
• Nossa Senhora da Piedade (Religious Festival) – Held on 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 (80’s music festival)
• Knights Templar Festival

Local Food Specialities

• Fatias de Tomar
• Beija-me depressa (kiss me quickly) – Estrelas Confeitery