Parabéns Tomar

“ERA 1198 (1160, era de Cristo) REINANDO AFONSO, ILUSTRÍSSIMO REI DE PORTUGAL, GUALDIM PAIS, MESTRE DOS CAVALEIROS PORTUGUESES DO TEMPLO, COM SEUS FREIRES, COMEÇOU NO PRIMEIRO DIA DE MARÇO, A EDIFICAR ESTE CASTELO, CHAMADO TOMAR QUE, CONCLUÍDO, O REI OFERTOU A DEUS E AOS CAVALEIROS DO TEMPLO…”

No âmbito do Dia de Tomar, que se celebra a 1 de Março, a Tomar Digital publica os forais de 1162 e de 1174, cortesia da Casa de Sarmento:

Os forais tomarenses de 1162 e 1174

*ilustração de Dr. José Vieira Guimarães (1915)

13 de Fevereiro de 1844

Fotografia de 1928

A vila de Tomar foi elevada a cidade a 13 de Fevereiro de 1844, perfazendo-se assim 175 anos após a assinatura do importante documento que hoje publicamos.

D. Maria, por graça de Deus, Rainha de Portugal, Algarve e seus domínios. Faço saber aos que esta Minha Carta virem que Eu fui servida de mandar passar o Alvará de teor seguinte: Eu a Rainha faço saber aos que este Meu Alvará virem que tendo-Me representado a Câmara Municipal da notável Vila de Thomar haver aquela terra desde tempos memoráveis, até que foi arrasada pela irrupção dos Árabes, gozado da categoria de cidade com a sua denominação de Nabância, reunindo a esta circunstância a grande notabilidade histórica e muitas e gloriosas recordações, que lhe estão ligadas; e atendendo não só ao alegado mas a ser a mesma Vila uma das mais vastas e formosas deste Reino, enriquecida com várias fábricas e ornada com diversos e belo edifícios, entre os quais se distingue, por sua celebridade, o do extinto Convento da Ordem de Cristo, possuindo além destes todos os mais elementos para sustentar com dignidade a categoria de cidade; e tomando finalmente em consideração os claros testemunhos que os Tomarenses Me têm dado da sua nobre dedicação ao Trono e à Carta Constitucional da Monarquia: Hei por bem e Me praz, Deferindo à representação da Câmara Municipal do Concelho de Thomar, que a dita Vila do dia da publicação deste Alvará em diante, fique erecta Cidade, denominando-se Cidade de Thomar, e que como tal goze de todas as prerrogativas que directamente lhe pertencem. Pelo que Mando a todos os Tribunais, Autoridades, oficiais e mais pessoas, a quem o conhecimento deste Alvará competir, o cumpram como nele se contém sem dúvida ou embargo algum. E por firmeza do que dito é Ordenado que pelo Secretário de Estado dos Negócios do Reino se lhe passe Carta em dois diferentes exemplares, que serão por Mim assinados e selados com o selo pendente das Armas Reais - a saber: um deles para seu título, e outro para se remeter à Torres do Tombo Pagará de direitos setenta mil réis, como constou de um conhecimento em forma com o número mil setecentos e quarenta e data de novo do corrente mês. 

Dada no Palácio das Necessidades em doze de Fevereiro de mil oitocentos quarenta e quatro - Rainha-M - António Bernardes da Costa Cabral.

Esta carta tem o selo e as armas reais, pendente de fita azul e branca, ligada ao papel pergaminho em que está escrito o Alvará e a data de 13 de Fevereiro de 1844.

Túmulo de Cavaleiro está identificado

Este será o túmulo que os exploradores ingleses de 1854 descrevem no campo de trigo em Tomar:

A Tomar Digital agradece a correspondência quase imediata dos leitores Paulo Guilherme Peixoto e do Rui Ferreira, que terão identificado o sepulcro descrito pelos exploradores ingleses no campo de trigo em Março de 1854.

De acordo com Paulo Guilherme Peixoto, este túmulo estaria no interior das muralhas, sendo o campo de trigo a praça de armas e a Porta de Santiago a entrada do castelo. "O túmulo pertence a um cavaleiro que está no Museu Arqueológico do Carmo."

Rui Ferreira contribui igualmente, em grande, para este contexto histórico, ao identificar o túmulo com imagem e informação do Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, como podemos encontrar no E-book na página 94.

"A tumularia do sec. xv e aqui representada pelo túmulo de Frei Gonçalo de Sousa (Vedor da Fazenda, Chanceler, Alferes-Mor, Comendador-Mor da Ordem de Cristo e Privado do Infante D. Henrique), procedente de Tomar (Capela de Santa Catarina do Monte Sinai - Convento de Cristo), (...)"

Link: Roteiro da Exposição Permanente - Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

Imagem presente no Link

Túmulo de Cavaleiro a céu aberto em Tomar

Em Maio de 1854 um grupo de exploradores ingleses esteve em Tomar, dentro de uma viagem cujo resultado foi a publicação de uma obra para viajar em Portugal publicada em Londres em 1855.

(À direita imagem exemplo de um túmulo de cavaleiro Templário)

Mais uma vez, estes livros antigos trazem-nos novidades.

Devo realçar que os exploradores identificam a presença de um túmulo de cavaleiro, "muito bem esculpido", provavelmente pertencente à Ordem dos Templários ou à Ordem de Cristo, a céu aberto:

"In the middle of the wheat is a high tomb with the recumbent effigy of a knight, very finely sculptured."

Este Sepulcro, de acordo com a descrição dos exploradores, está perto da Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, num campo de trigo, sendo que o guia que os acompanhava identificou erradamente o monumento como a Igreja de Santa Catarina. Ou, numa outra hipótese, poderá mesmo referir-se à antiga Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo, neste caso será já no interior da muralha. Sendo esta uma forte possibilidade. Pode por si ler todo o contexto:

"Passing the church of S. Joao Baptista (of which presently), and the little Praca beyond it, we begin to ascend the steep hill, the convent walls towering above our heads. Turning sharply to the 1. we enter the postern, and then the gate, of Santiago, coming out into what is now a wheat-field, but which was for merly a court. Close to the walls are the remains of the chapel of Sta. Cate rina, built, as the guide will not fail to assure you, by D. Caterina, queen of D. Diniz ; but as the only queen Catherine of Portugal was the wife of D. Joao III., local tradition does not preserve much accuracy here. In the middle of the wheat is a high tomb with the recumbent effigy of a knight, very finely sculptured. Below this chapel, and therefore to the S.E., is the castle of Gualdim Paes, now the property of the Count of Thomar."

Estamos perante um sepulcro sobrevivente ao tempo, que poderá ainda estar no local ou ter sido desviado para outra localização.

Lembro que a Igreja de Santa Maria dos Olivais incluía no seu interior os sepulcros dos cavaleiros Templários e de outros elementos da Ordem de Cristo.

A se redescobrir este túmulo, é ele só por si um forte motivo de visita e interesse profundo para os historiadores e visitantes.

Os livros de viagem Murray  foram publicados a partir de 1836 em Londres por John Murray (presente na ilustração acima).

Capítulo inteiro:

HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS IN PORTUGAL

LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STKEET. PARIS : A. & W. GALIGNANI AND CO.; STASSIN AND XAVIER. 

1855

ROUTE 20 - THOMAR 

1 Ponte do Nabao, 1 *Thomar: 3766 inhab. : the best inn is the Hospedaria de Comovos, in the Rua da Levada. Created a city in 1846, but not an episcopal see. This place, situated near the ruins of the ancient Nabantia, is undoubtedly one of the most interesting towns which Portugal can show to the ecclesiologist. Its position on either side of the Nabao, the steep hill that rises to the W., and is crowned with the enormous convent of the Order of Christ, the pilgrimage chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, the very curious bridge, and the spire and tower of the two ancient parish churches surpass even Coimbra. We will first conduct the tourist to the convent, which in its way was unrivalled in Europe, The Templars entered Portugal in the time of Count Henrique, and were settled at Thomar, in the regency of D. Teresa, under their Master, Gualdim Paes. In 11 69 the defence of Alemtejo was intrusted to them ; and a third of all the lands won from the" Moors was to be their reward. In 1190 Thomar was be sieged by a vast army of the infidels under the caliph Jacoob. The Temp lars in commemoration of their suc cessful resistance caused an inscrip tion to be engraved on the walls of their castle which still exists, and where they draw largely on the faith of their readers so far as numbers are concerned. "In 1190, the 3rd of July, came the Miramolim of Morocco with 400,000 horsemen and 500,000 footmen to besiege this castle ; the siege lasted six days, and they de stroy ed all that could be found with out the walls. God was pleased to deliver the Master D. Gualdim and his brethren, and the Caliph and his barbarians returned to their own country." In 1311, when the Order of the Templars was suppressed, D. Diniz resolved on instituting another, which should occupy its place and succeed to its property. The result was the creation of the Order of Christ in 1319. Its principal seat was at first fixed at Castromarim (see under Algarve), but removed hither in 1449, when the great D. Henrique was Grand Master. No sufficient account of this wonder ful convent has as yet been published, and even Count Raczynski dismisses the subject in a very few pages. Pass ing the church of & Joao Baptista (of which presently), and the little Praca beyond it, we begin to ascend the steep bill, the convent walls towering above our heads. Turning sharply to the 1. we enter the postern, and then the gate, of Santiago, coming out into what is now a wheat-field, but which was for merly a court. Close to the walls are the remains of the chapel of Sta. Cate rina, built, as the guide will not fail to assure you, by D. Caterina, queen of D. Diniz; but as the only queen Catherine of Portugal was the wife of D. Joao III., local tradition does not preserve much accuracy here. In the middle of the wheat is a high tomb with the recumbent effigy of a knight, very finely sculptured. Below this chapel, aud therefore to the S.E., is the castle of Gualdim Paes, now the property of the Count of Thomar. We next ascend a long flight of steps, leaving to our rt. the palace of D. Caterina, the castle, and then the church. The whole convent consists of 9 cloisters, besides the above-named buildings and the aqueduct. The latter was the work of Philip II. and Philip III. The church received numerous additions from D. Manoel, who before his accession to the throne was Grand Master, from D. Joao III., and from D. Sebastiao "the Regretted." We first enter the church by the great S. door ; observe on the exterior of this door the panelling which extends to the roof. At the top of the whole S. Mary with the Divine Child, and lower down S. Jerome with other saints. Over the door is the Sphere of D. Manoel. The whole work is of the richest and most extravagant flamboyant, degenerating in parts into cinquecento. The arrangement is perhaps unique. The earliest part, the choir, which would seem to date from before the time of D. Diniz, is 16-sided; the altar is in the centre under an octagonal canopy, which rises to, and supports, the vaulting, thus leaving an aisle all round. The 3 divisions of the octagonal canopy behind the high-altar are exceedingly rich ; they apparently represented the Crucifixion, and have superb canopies. On the sides of the choir are figures of kings aud ecclesiasties, with le gends: in the vaulting, the sphere, the arms of Portugal, and the cross of the Order of Christ. The E. end is an exceedingly rich recess, with the images —by an odd juxta-position —of Silence and S. Mary. Notice the immensely massive chancel arch, with the pulpit on the S. side, and the sham painting of a pulpit on the N. to answer it. The nave —for there are no aisles —consists of 3 bays, but two are taken up by the coro alto, not properly speaking in a gallery, but raised to a great height above the third or easternmost bay, inaccessible from the church, and provided with a separate entrance. It is very plainly fitted up : the stalls are now not di vided except by passages : its E. screen is of wood and marble, and the walls are painted in the worst style of Eng lish church wardenry to imitate squared ashlar. Under the coro alto is the chapter-house, low and well vaulted in two bays, with lattice-work at the W. end, and one of the most extra vagant doors of D. Manoel's architec ture on the S. This was copied by the present king-regent at Cintra. This magnificent church is now de secrated, as the guide will not fail to remind you (and the admonition, after toiling up the long steep hill and en tering a building that strikes like an ice-house, is worth attending to), Que e senhor se cobra : a Igreja estd profanada. To the S. of the church is the Claustro dos Felippes, a handsome cinquecento erection of two stories. From the uppermost of these the coro alto is entered, and, treading cau tiously amidst the wax which is lying to bleach on the roof, you get a good view of the principal door. From this place you see the aqueduct stretch ing away towards the S.W. We may also ascend to the roof, though no one bird's-eye view can be obtained of the whole building. The small thin tower is at the E. end of the chancel, and by its side hangs the largest bell in Portugal, with the legend, " Benedictus Deus et Pater Domini Jesu Christi qui confortat nos in omnibus tribulationibus nostris." From hence the visitor will be led through the other cloisters, which do not call for particular description. The principal one contains a corridor in the shape of a T, ou either side of which were the rooms of the brethren. Each had a sitting-room, a bed-room, and a fireroom : in the latter the fireplace was in the middle, and the chimney sup ported on four shafts. In the corridor at the junction of the horizontal and vertical lines is the altar of N. S. da Pacieneia. To the N. of the church is the earliest cloister of first pointed work, five bays on each side, and very elegant : the azulejos round its base and round the raised beds which con tain orange-trees in the central court have a good effect. Notice the re cessed tomb of Diego da Gama, chap lain to D. Manoel, Jan. 23rd, 1523, que santa gloria aia. To the W. of these cloisters is the sacristy, a Grecian building. From hence the visitor is conducted to the castle and the palace of D. Caterina : they are now planted with wheat. A good view is com manded of the Postigo de Santiago immediately below, beyond that the spire of S. Joao Baptista, the city, and in the distance the tower of N. S. dos Olivaes, with the high ground about Corticada in the far horizon. To the left hand N. S. da Piedade on the top of its steep hill, the Serra de Alboaca, and the road to Coimbra : to the rt. the castle of Gualdim Paes and the valley of the Nabao. Descending the hill, we next visit the church of S. Joao Baptista. At the W. end of this is the Praoa, with the Casa da Camara opposite ; above that the convent. In the middle, sur rounded with young acacias, is the Pelourinho with the Sphere of D. Manoel. The tower, which is engaged at the W. end of the N. aisle, has—a most unusual thing in Portugal — an octagonal stone spire of good propor tions and effect: the Sphere at its summit shows, it to be the work of D. Manoel. The W. door is of very fine flamboyant. Notice in the interior the octagonal pulpit with the cross of the Order of Christ, the font, and the westernmost pier on the N. side. The lower part of the sides of the choir is lined with azulejos ; above these are eight paintings on each side, which, as well as that of the Baptism of our Lord over the high-altar, are attri buted to Gran Vasco. However, though they are not without their merit, the drawing in parts is too execrable to be his. Baczynski tells that, on inquiring of the sacristan by whom they were, the answer was, " Vasco, Vasco da Gama, Italianol " Leaving the church and retracing our steps to the bridge, which is of good pointed work with openings at the side, we get to the S.E. end of the town, passing the cemetery. Here is the church of N. S. dos Ohvaes, or N. S. da Assumpvao : the descent to it is by 1 9 steps. The tower is detached, and stands some distance from the W. end ; it is Romanesque, low, and massive, and may possibly be referred to the times of Gualdim Paes. The choir is apsidal ; the windows of the apse are filled with stone-work like that in many Somersetshire towers. Notice the azulejos which cover the vaulting of the S. chancel aisle with very good effect. In the S. aisle of the nave is a monument to Isabel, wife of Affonso de Vieira, treasurer to D. Affonso V.,eral492 = A.D. 1454. The W. window, a great 12-leaved marigold, and the very fine FirstPointed W. door deserve attention. Hence we may visit the cottonmanufactory, shown with the greatest courtesy by Senhor Loureiro, the pro prietor of 20 out of 32 shares, of which it consists. Although, of course, it cannot compete with the great Eng lish mills, it is nevertheless interesting to see how these things are done in Portugal. The largest in the king dom is at Lisbon, and is worked by steam. This, which is turned by water-power, is the second, and there is one nearly as large at Visella, near Porto. It employs 300 hands— 160 women, 140 men — besides 100 hands outside the mill, in bleaching, &c. The highest pay is 2s. a day, the low est, half a testao, 2fd. The rooms are very well ventilated, and the people seem healthy and contented. Senhor Loureiro's gardens are prettily laid out in approximation to the English fashion. Hence it is worth while to walk along the Levada, which works the mill, to the weir at its head, both for the sake of the view and for the picturesque effect of the washing and bleaching carried on in grottos at the side of the Nabao. Retracing our steps, and again cross ing the bridge, we may visit the chapel of S. Gregorio, an octagonal building with a fine flamboyant door. Immediately above this, on the sum mit of a steep hill, is the pilgrimage chapel of N. S. da Piedade ; the ascent to it, which in May 1854 was not quite finished, is by 255 steps in '24 tiers, the landing-place on each tier having on each side a semicircular stone seat : the effect of the whole is very fine, but under a Portuguese sun the ascent is rather trying. Halfway up on the right-hand side is the now ruined chapel of N. S. Jesus do Monte. The pilgrimage chapel itself was re built in lti 13 by Bernardo Ortiz Ochoa, but has some remains of flamboyant work. In visiting the curiosities of Thomar 2 days may very well be spent.