Commendations of the Order of Christ

This leg covers territory in central Portugal bathed by the River Zêzere, with a history deeply linked to the period of the Christian reconquest in the 12th century and the defence and settlement of the area north of the Tagus.  The Order of the Knights Templar was the main recipient of lands granted here by the king. When this military order was abolished by the Pope in 1312, the assets and properties passed to the Order of Christ, created in 1319 following a proposal by King Dinis to the Supreme Pontiff.

On a small peninsula above the reservoir formed by the abundant waters of the Zêzere, Dornes preserves the memory of these times. With a landscape of rare beauty, where land and water are intertwined, the historical and artistic heritage has great cultural value. In this harmonious setting we find the polygonal tower built by the Templars on the site of an ancient Roman bastion in the 13th century. Right next door, the main Church of Our Lady of Sorrow is a Gothic church that was remodelled in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Behind its classical façade we find an interior with three naves, where a baroque ambience predominates, characterised by geometrically patterned tiles. The route to Areias continues in the municipality of Ferreira do Zêzere, through rural areas with farmland and small villages. In Frazoeira, we find the Chapel of Our Lady of Purification with its façade marked by a baroque pediment.