It is located in Largo do Infante D. Henrique, in the village of Batalha, district of Leiria, province of Beira Litoral, Central Portugal
History of Batalha Monastery
The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, better known as Monastery of Batalha, is a Dominican monastery located in Largo do Infante D. Henrique, in the village of Batalha.
The exceptional architectural complex resulted from the fulfillment of a promise made by King D. João I, in gratitude for the victory in Aljubarrota, a battle fought on August 14, 1385 that secured him the throne and guaranteed Portugal's independence.
The monastery was built by D. João I following a promise he made to the Virgin Mary to win the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385.
Construction began in 1386 under the guidance of the Portuguese architect Afonso Domingues, in this initial phase the results produced were the majority of the church's structures and two wings of the cloister.
In 1402, supervision was transferred to Master Huguet who introduced the Flamboyant Gothic style that can be seen on the main facade, the dome of the church spaces and the Chapter House, the Founder's Chapel and the initial structure of the Imperfect Chapel.
In the 15th century, the cloister of D. Afonso V was built and during the reign of D. Manuel, the windows of the cloister galleries were closed and work on the Imperfect Chapel was restarted.
D. João I donated it to the order of S. Domingos, a donation to which the good offices of Doctor João das Regras, chancellor of the kingdom, and Frei Lourenço Lampreia, confessor of the monarch, were not unrelated.
In the possession of the Dominicans until the extinction of the religious orders in 1834, the monument was later incorporated into the Public Treasury, and is now under the responsibility of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, serving as a cultural, tourist and devotional space.
The exceptional architectural complex resulted from the fulfillment of a promise made by King D. João I, in gratitude for the victory in Aljubarrota, a battle fought on August 14, 1385 that secured him the throne and guaranteed Portugal's independence.
The monastery was built by D. João I following a promise he made to the Virgin Mary to win the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385.
Construction began in 1386 under the guidance of the Portuguese architect Afonso Domingues, in this initial phase the results produced were the majority of the church's structures and two wings of the cloister.
In 1402, supervision was transferred to Master Huguet who introduced the Flamboyant Gothic style that can be seen on the main facade, the dome of the church spaces and the Chapter House, the Founder's Chapel and the initial structure of the Imperfect Chapel.
In the 15th century, the cloister of D. Afonso V was built and during the reign of D. Manuel, the windows of the cloister galleries were closed and work on the Imperfect Chapel was restarted.
D. João I donated it to the order of S. Domingos, a donation to which the good offices of Doctor João das Regras, chancellor of the kingdom, and Frei Lourenço Lampreia, confessor of the monarch, were not unrelated.
In the possession of the Dominicans until the extinction of the religious orders in 1834, the monument was later incorporated into the Public Treasury, and is now under the responsibility of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, serving as a cultural, tourist and devotional space.
Reconstruction of the Batalha Monastery
The construction spanned seven reigns of the second dynasty (1385-1580) by a vast team of high-level master-bricklayers, both national and foreign, who were initially directed by Afonso Domingues until his death in 1402.
The works lasted for more than 150 years, through several phases of construction, several additions were introduced into the initial project, resulting in a vast monastic complex that currently features a church, two cloisters with attached outbuildings and two royal pantheons, the Founder's Chapel and the Imperfect Chapels.
During this period, part of the church was built and the royal cloister was succeeded by English Master Huguet who, by 1438, completed the church, built the founder's chapel and began the pantheon of D. Duarte.
The architect Fernão de Évora designed the cloister of D. Afonso V, Mateus Fernandes (16th century, Portuguese architect noted for his works in the Manueline style in the Batalha Monastery) was responsible for the Imperfect Chapels (1448- 1477).
The monastery houses the most important group of Portuguese medieval stained glass windows, which can be admired in the Main Chapel and Chapter Room. The central nave of the church rises to 32.5 meters and rests on eight columns on each side.
The works lasted for more than 150 years, through several phases of construction, several additions were introduced into the initial project, resulting in a vast monastic complex that currently features a church, two cloisters with attached outbuildings and two royal pantheons, the Founder's Chapel and the Imperfect Chapels.
During this period, part of the church was built and the royal cloister was succeeded by English Master Huguet who, by 1438, completed the church, built the founder's chapel and began the pantheon of D. Duarte.
The architect Fernão de Évora designed the cloister of D. Afonso V, Mateus Fernandes (16th century, Portuguese architect noted for his works in the Manueline style in the Batalha Monastery) was responsible for the Imperfect Chapels (1448- 1477).
The monastery houses the most important group of Portuguese medieval stained glass windows, which can be admired in the Main Chapel and Chapter Room. The central nave of the church rises to 32.5 meters and rests on eight columns on each side.
The Characteristics of the Batalha Monastery
The main facade features multiple flying buttresses on the roof's lacy platband, the ogival of the central/side window filled with stone rosettes, the portal composed of several ogival arches bringing together small statues of saints and angels in their archivolts, tympanum and intercolons.
The Monastery has a Latin cross plan, the body of the church is divided into three naves, the central one being higher and wider than the side ones with the tripartite apse.
The roof is made up of a warhead vault resting on robust pillars decorated with vegetal capitals.
The multicolored stained glass windows in the main chapel, a work from the 16th century, are of great importance and are themed around episodes from the life of Christ.
The Main Chapel has a later finish, with its whitewashed triumphal arch, and two phases of work on the side chapels can be considered.
The north and west galleries were already built, but it was Huguet who completed those on the south and east sides (all of them with seven bays) whilst respecting the previous layout, with cross vaults made of large keys joined by a longitudinal chain resting on thin columns on either side of the walls.
The chapter room is another of the most prominent rooms with a square plan, its large vaulted roof is made up of a complex ogival set of ribs, triplets and stone keys characteristic of the Flamboyant Gothic.
The Monastery has a Latin cross plan, the body of the church is divided into three naves, the central one being higher and wider than the side ones with the tripartite apse.
The roof is made up of a warhead vault resting on robust pillars decorated with vegetal capitals.
The multicolored stained glass windows in the main chapel, a work from the 16th century, are of great importance and are themed around episodes from the life of Christ.
The Main Chapel has a later finish, with its whitewashed triumphal arch, and two phases of work on the side chapels can be considered.
The north and west galleries were already built, but it was Huguet who completed those on the south and east sides (all of them with seven bays) whilst respecting the previous layout, with cross vaults made of large keys joined by a longitudinal chain resting on thin columns on either side of the walls.
The chapter room is another of the most prominent rooms with a square plan, its large vaulted roof is made up of a complex ogival set of ribs, triplets and stone keys characteristic of the Flamboyant Gothic.
Chapter Room
Master Huguet was the finalist of the famous Chapter Room where it stands today, since 1921 permanently evoked by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Portuguese hero by the “Flame of the Fatherland” of the Monumental Lamp, designed by Master António Gonçalves.
The vault is a work of remarkable Gothic construction technique, being formed by sixteen radial ribs, eight launched from the walls, the rest launched from the external secondary keys converging on a large central key with vegetal decoration developed in two crowns.
The outer face is formed by a central portal with a deep opening with five archivolts on the outside and four on the inside, the opening decorated with radiating crochets.
On each side there are two large broken openings, each filled by two twin windows with a flag cut out and tracery according to flaming Gothic precepts and surmounted by an oculus.
The chapter room has figurative ornamentation worthy of note: the program is mariological, with two capitals showing in the south window facing the crest, the representation of an Annunciation with the virgin on the right and the angel on the left.
Our Lady holds a vessel with her right arm, her lap adorned with a necklace of hand-shaped pendants (apotropaic signs) and the angel with the typical phylactery wrapped around the body.
The founder's chapel was built by Huguet between 1426 and 1434 with an octagonal plan, topped by a dome with a ribbed vault that forms an eight-pointed star.
The Pantheon of D. Duarte, also known as Capelas Imperfeitas, was planned taking into account a rigorous reading of the will of D. João I, with that monarch opting to create his own funerary space.
Here you will find the grandiose tomb of D. João I and D. Filipa de Lencastre with its beautiful repose sleeping on a double flaming canopy, the tombs of the infants D. Pedro and D. Henrique and the kings D. Afonso V and D. João II.
The Imperfect Chapels, so named because their coverage was never completed, are divided into seven chapels inscribed in an octagon, with the eighth side modeled with a beautiful Manueline portal designed by Mateus Fernandes.
The vault is a work of remarkable Gothic construction technique, being formed by sixteen radial ribs, eight launched from the walls, the rest launched from the external secondary keys converging on a large central key with vegetal decoration developed in two crowns.
The outer face is formed by a central portal with a deep opening with five archivolts on the outside and four on the inside, the opening decorated with radiating crochets.
On each side there are two large broken openings, each filled by two twin windows with a flag cut out and tracery according to flaming Gothic precepts and surmounted by an oculus.
The chapter room has figurative ornamentation worthy of note: the program is mariological, with two capitals showing in the south window facing the crest, the representation of an Annunciation with the virgin on the right and the angel on the left.
Our Lady holds a vessel with her right arm, her lap adorned with a necklace of hand-shaped pendants (apotropaic signs) and the angel with the typical phylactery wrapped around the body.
The founder's chapel was built by Huguet between 1426 and 1434 with an octagonal plan, topped by a dome with a ribbed vault that forms an eight-pointed star.
The Pantheon of D. Duarte, also known as Capelas Imperfeitas, was planned taking into account a rigorous reading of the will of D. João I, with that monarch opting to create his own funerary space.
Here you will find the grandiose tomb of D. João I and D. Filipa de Lencastre with its beautiful repose sleeping on a double flaming canopy, the tombs of the infants D. Pedro and D. Henrique and the kings D. Afonso V and D. João II.
The Imperfect Chapels, so named because their coverage was never completed, are divided into seven chapels inscribed in an octagon, with the eighth side modeled with a beautiful Manueline portal designed by Mateus Fernandes.
