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UPDATE
SEPTEMBER 2023
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Why visit Tomar?
Is there a feast in Tomar?
History of the Feast
Feast of the Trays Festival to take place July 2023 in Tomar
The origins of the festival started with the worship of the Holy Spirit and the devotion to Queen Saint Isabel who was the wife of King Dinis. She was born in 1271 into the royal house of Aragon, Isabel was the daughter of King Pedro III and his wife Constance of Sicily and the sister of three kings: Afonso II, James II of Aragon, and Frederick III of Sicily. She was extremely faithful and prayed daily. Her marriage to King Dinis of Portugal was arranged in 1281 by her parents when she was only 11 years old, the towns of Óbidos, Abrantes, and Porto de Mós were part of her dowry. In 1288, they were married when Dinis was 26 years old, and Isabel was 17 years old. She was devoted to the poor people of Portugal. Her feast is celebrated on July 8 worldwide.
The view of the city before you enter the castle
Festa dos Tabuleiros
The town of Tomar begins to decorate the balconies and streets after easter getting ready for the parade in July. The 1st parade consists of locals and a 'Procession of the Boys' or Mordomo. The boy's parade is the Sunday before the Grand Parade. The Grand Parade consists of an ox, horse and buggies, Buggles, bagpipes, and loud music. There is a huge competition among the locals to identify which street is decorated the best.
On the day of the Grand Parade, fireworks are set off to begin the procession. Men are dressed in white with a red tie and the women are dressed in white with a red sash. The women wear a large tray or headdress on their heads which is supposed to be equal to their height. The tray is decorated with paper flowers, bread, wheat, and a crown on top of it.
Why are the Templars famous?
The Templar Knights in Tomar by Jose Armando Vizela Cardoso
This book is easy to read with great references to places in Tomar.
The 8 chapters in this educational book give details and explanations to understand why Tomar was built and why it was built in Tomar. Chapter 1 explains the concept of initiation into Knighthood and the definition of being initiated. Chapter 2 describes the responsibility and role of the Templar Knight. Chapter 3 is interesting because it tells the criteria to become a knight. Safety was needed to protect the Christian pilgrims traveling to Palestine from Europe. In 1118, 8 noble knights with Hugh of Pyens as the leader were given the challenge to create a safe community for pilgrims wishing to travel. The knights were chosen carefully by the social structure accepted in the Middle Ages, approved by the Pope, and financially supported by the King and Nobles. When they arrived in Jerusalem, King Baldwin II decided to give them the ruins of the Temple from King Solomon a place to stay. It took 6 years to explore and empty the basement of the Castle left by King Solomon. While they worked hard, they did not recruit any others to help to create a mystic around the items found in the basement of Solomon's Castle.
Chapter 4 explains the incredible accomplishments of the Templars in 178 years of existence. Chapter 5 explains why Tomar was chosen as the place to build the Castle. Tomar was to become the headquarters of the Portuguese Templar knights because it was located in the center of Portugal near a river bordering the territory occupied by the Moors.
Chapter 6 describes the end of the Templars and the creation of the Order of Christ created by the Portuguese king. Chapter 7 explains the Order in Portugal and how the Portuguese king supported the Knights. Chapter 8 describes the historic places in Tomar and some of the hidden secrets left by the knights.
This book is for sale in the castle bookstore. It is cheaper on Amazon. The book is packed with facts about the Templar Knights, the construction of the castle, initiation into knighthood, Jerusalem, Moors destruction, Christianity in Portugal, Coimbra headquarters,
Sources are scarce about the Templars due to destruction which makes the Templars a bit mystic and mysterious. Researchers and historians had to interpret clues and look for hidden symbols amongst the buildings and ruins in order to identify the footsteps of the Templars.
After the 1st conquest of Jerusalem in 1029, Christians wanted to pilgrimage to The Holy land but it was dangerous for people to travel throughout the city. People with deep faith wanted to walk on the same soil as Jesus Christ. This is where the Templars come in and help to secure the area for the Christians to make the journey. The warrior monks' self-titled name of the Poor Knights of Christ became the military-religious Order of the Templar Knights. Now, they would protect the Christians seeking time in Jerusalem.
In 1129, the Rules of the Templars was handwritten by S. Bernardo from Clairvaux. It contained strict and secretive ways of conduct including business ethics to prevent barbarian acts against mankind. This allowed for the Elite to have a sense of protection and gave strength to the nobility with military force. The Templars brought ethics to organized armies which ensured a sense of respect for the principles of human dignity and respect for the preservation of life. This meant that an army could not massacre a group of people like animals.
To become one of these Knights, a man had to be initiated into this Order. He had to demonstrate an individual honor proving he could accomplish his mission even if he had to die to do it.
History of Tomar and Tomar Castle
more than 8 centuries after its founding, the headquarters of the Knights Templar still stands as testimony to its integral role in Portuguese history, from the founding of Portugal as a nation-state through to the Age of Discoveries.
The Knights Templar: The Hidden History of the Knights Templar: The Church’s Oldest Conspiracy (History of the Knights and the Crusades) Paperback – November 23, 2015
Possible trips to combine
5 day trip
Tomar, Fatima, Batalha, Alcobaca, Figuiera do Foz, Mira, Coimbra, Aveira, Murtosa, Porto, Braga
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