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Ribatejo

Literally meaning ‘Above the Tejo’, Ribatejo is the only Portuguese province that doesn’t border either Spain or the open ocean. A string of Templar castles are proof of its strategic importance, though these days its clout is economic, thanks to industry along the Tejo and the rich agricultural plains that spread out from the river’s banks. This is also bull country – most of Portugal’s fighters are bred in and around the capital, Santarém.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Ribatejo.

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Convento de Cristo
Wrapped in splendour and mystery, the Knights Templar held enormous power in Portugal from the 12th to 16th centuries, and largely bankrolled the Age of Discoveries. Their headquarters sit on wooded slopes above the town and are enclosed within 12th-century walls. The Convento de Cristo is a stony expression of magnificence, founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais. It has chapels, cloisters and choirs in diverging styles, added over the centuries by successive kings and Grand Masters. The Charola, the extraordinary 16-sided Templar church, thought to be in imitation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, dominates the complex. Its eastern influences give it a very different feel to most Portuguese churches; 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 knights to attend Mass on horseback. In the centre stands an eerily Gothic high altar, while 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 a two-level choir. The coro alto (upper choir) is a fabulous Manueline work, with intricate decor on the vaulting and windows. The main western doorway into the nave is a splendid example of Spanish plateresque style. Seeming to have grown from the wall, the Janela Manuelina (Manueline Window) on the church's western side is the most famous and fantastical feature of the monastery. It’s the ultimate in Manueline extravagance, a celebration of the Age of Discoveries: a Medusa tangle of snaking ropes, seaweed and cork boats, atop of which floats the Cross of the Order of Christ and the royal arms and armillary spheres of Dom Manuel. It’s best seen from the roof of the adjacent Claustro de Santa Bárbara. Follow signs to the janela. Unfortunately obscured by the Claustro Principal is an almost-equivalent window on the southern side of the church. Two serene, azulejo -decorated cloisters to the east of the Charola were built during the time when Prince Henry the Navigator was Grand Master of the order in the 15th century. The Claustro do Cemitério (Burial-Ground Cloisters) contains two 16th-century tombs and pretty citrus trees, while the two-storey Claustro da Lavagem (Ablutions Cloisters) affords nice views of the crenellated ruins of the Templars’ original castle. The elegant Renaissance Claustro Principal (Great Cloisters) stands in striking contrast to the flamboyance of the monastery’s Manueline architecture. Commissioned during the reign of João III, the cloisters were probably designed by the Spaniard Diogo de Torralva but completed in 1587 by an Italian, Filippo Terzi. These foreign architects were among several responsible for introducing a delayed Renaissance style into Portugal. The Claustro Principal is arguably the country’s finest expression of that style: a sober ensemble of Greek columns and pillars, gentle arches and sinuous, spiralling staircases.
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Aqueduto de Pegões
This astonishing aqueduct, striding towards the monastery from the northwest, was built between 1593 and 1613 to supply water to thirsty monks. Its 180 arches, some of which are double-decker, are thought to have been designed by Filippo Terzi. It’s best seen just off the Leiria road, 2.3km from town, where it winds along a dramatic turn. You are free to climb about the top at will.
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Museu Luso-Hebraico Abraham Zacuto
On a charming cobbled lane in the old town, you’ll find the country’s best-preserved medieval synagogue. Built between 1430 and 1460, it was used for only a few years before Dom Manuel’s convert-or-leave edict of 1497 forced most Jews to do the latter. The synagogue subsequently served as prison, chapel, hayloft and warehouse until classified as a national monument in 1921. Mostly thanks to the efforts of Luís Vasco (often present), the small building has been remodelled to look something like it would have in the 15th century. It’s named after the Jewish mathematician and royal astrologer who helped Vasco da Gama plan his voyages. Inside, among various stones engraved with 13th- and 14th-century Hebraic inscriptions, is a rose-coloured limestone block from the Great Synagogue of Lisbon, dating from 1307. An excellent personal explanation from the person on duty brings this place and its history to life.
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Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes
These bucolic 39-hectare gardens – linked to the Convento de Cristo – were founded by the Order of Christ and once served as a contemplative space and apple orchard for the monastic order. Indeed today it is a finely manicured and peaceful walled forest well worth exploration. In addition to centuries-old cypress, Judas, oak and olive trees, it contains the carved stone Romanesque Charolinha, a replica of the lantern towers of the Convent, built on plans drawn by João de Castilho. It's surrounded by a circular tank reached via a stone bridge.
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Museu dos Fósforos
This museum, reached via the lovely courtyard of the Convento de São Francisco, contains Europe’s largest collection of matchboxes. Amassed by local ‘phillumenist’ Aquiles da Mota Lima, the 43,000-plus matchboxes from 127 countries around the world depict everything from bullfighters to bathing beauties, dinosaurs and French cuisine.
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Igreja de São João Baptista
The old town’s most striking church faces Praça da República, itself an eye-catching ensemble of 17th-century buildings alive with the echo of cooing pigeons. The church dates mostly from the late 15th century. It has an octagonal spire and richly ornamented Manueline doorways on its northern and western sides. Inside are 16th- and 17th-century azulejos. Gregório Lopes, one of 16th-century Portugal’s finest artists, painted the church's six fine panels.
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Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Conceição
Downhill from the monastery is this strikingly simple Renaissance chapel in a lovely position. It’s attributed to Diogo de Torralva, architect of the Convento de Christo cloisters. To visit, you (or your guide) will need to make prior arrangements at the Convent.
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Núcleo De Arte Contemporânea
This modern museum showcases the work of 20th-century modernists and surrealists as well as contemporary artists from all over Portugal.