Charola

Thought to be in imitation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the 16-sided charola dominates the Convento de Cristo complex. The interior is otherworldly in its vast heights - an awesome combination of simple forms and rich embellishment. It's said that the circular design enabled the nights to attend mass on horseback. In the centre stands an eerily gothic high altar, like a temple within a temple. Restored wall paintings date from the early 16th century.

A huge funnel to the left is an ancient organ pipe (the organ itself is long gone). Dom Manuel was responsible for tacking the nave on to the west side of the Charola and for commissioning the architect Diogo de Arruda to build a chapterhouse with a coro alto (choir) above it. The main western doorway into the nave - a splendid example of Spanish plateresque style (named after the ornate work of silversmiths) - is the work of Spanish architect João de Castilho. The same team repeated their success at Belém's Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.