Description of the attraction
The Dominican monastery of Santa Maria da Vitoria is better known as the monastery of Batalha. The monastery was built to commemorate the battle between Portuguese and Castilian troops in 1385 at Aljubarrota. King João I of Portugal vowed to build a monastery in honor of the Virgin Mary if the Portuguese won the battle. A year after the victory, the construction of the monastery began, which ended only at the beginning of the 16th century.
The building of the monastery is one of the best examples of the combination of late Gothic and Manueline style in Portuguese architecture. More than 15 architects worked on the construction of this unique building, but it was never completed, because during the reign of King Manuel I, all efforts were focused on the construction of a monastery in Lisbon.
The Lisbon earthquake in 1755 did not cause much damage to the building. More serious damage was done in 1810-1811 by Napoleonic troops led by Marshal André Massena, who plundered and burned the monastery. In 1834, the Dominicans were expelled from the monastery, and soon it fell into desolation. In 1840, King Ferdinand II began restoration work, which continued until the beginning of the 20th century.
The monastery church does not have a bell tower. The main portal was erected under the direction of Huget, and the interior decoration was carried out with the participation of Boytak with a noticeable Renaissance influence. The entire interior of the church is permeated with a mystical spirit: rhythmically located pylons support a Gothic vault with pinnacles of stone lace, statues in niches are installed along the side naves, light flows through the arched stained glass windows. The main chapel is decorated with stained glass windows in the Manueline style. The church has the Chapel do Fundador (Founder's Chapel) and the Imperfeitas Chapel (Unfinished Chapels). The Unfinished Chapels contain the remains of King Don Duarte I.
