The best running trails around Batalha

The Chapel of the Founders is located to the right of the main facade. It was not included in the original plan of the monastery and owes its existence to the decision of King John I to create a family pantheon. Construction was completed around 1433/34. It is a space of great historical and artistic significance. Originally quadrangular in plan, it transforms in the center into an octagon, covered by a complex star vault that becomes a true canopy glorifying King John I and Queen Philippa of Lancaster, who are buried in a large tomb. On the lid of this largest Gothic arch of the 15th century in Portugal, the two recumbent kings are depicted hand in hand, covered by canopies with their coats of arms. On the back wall, on the south side, are the tombs of the children of these kings from the second quarter of the 15th century, the "famous generation", as Camões called them. From right to left: tomb of Infante and Regent Dom Pedro and his wife Isabel de Urgel, Duchess of Coimbra; of Henry the Navigator and Master of the Order of Christ (with a recumbent statue); of Infante Dom João, Master of the Order of Santiago, and his wife Isabel; of King Ferdinand, Master of the Order of Aviz, who died a saint during the captivity of Fez. The three tomb chests commissioned by King Charles I date from the early 20th century and are located on the west side of the chapel. Here are buried, from left to right: King Afonso V, grandson of John I; King John II, son of Afonso V; and finally Crown Prince Afonso, son of John II, who died prematurely in 1491 in a riding accident in the Santarém region.

After the revolution of 1383, Portugal found itself in a difficult conflict with the neighboring Kingdom of Castile. The battle was decided in 1385 when the Castilian and Portuguese armies clashed at the Battle of Aljubarrota. The Castilians outnumbered and were better armed. As a military leader, Nuno Álvares Pereira loyally stood by his patron, John of Avis. The Portuguese achieved a resounding victory, which is attributed in particular to the strategic genius of Nuno Álvares Pereira. With this victory, the Castilian claims to Portugal were permanently repelled. John of Avis was proclaimed king by the Cortes, as John I of Portugal, thus establishing the second Portuguese dynasty, the House of Avis. Nuno Álvares Pereira became a national hero, and the grateful king showered him with honors and material possessions.

Behind the transept of the church, in line with the choir, is the Pantheon of King Duarte, commonly known as the "Unfinished Chapels." It is structured in the form of an octagonal plan with an entrance on one axis and seven radiating chapels separated by small triangular sections. The construction of this chapel, initiated by King Duarte, began around 1434, the first year of his reign. The death of King Duarte in 1438 prevented the completion of the new funerary chapel, the construction of which had been driven by King Duarte's consistent personal and familial attitude. In the Duarte Pantheon, the double tomb of King Duarte and Queen Leonor was not housed here in the Axis Chapel until the 1940s, in what may have been a definitive reunion with history.

Here you can stroll around, admire everything and enjoy

The Batalha Parish Church, also known as the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, is a national monument located in Batalha. This church, built in 1540, has a beautiful Gothic portal and decorative elements in the Manueline style. It was designed by the famous architect João del Castilho.

I added a photo of a nice guy who sells refurbished old bikes... an inspiration in our super wasteful world!

The monument was created in 1966-1968 by the artist Leopoldo de Almeida. Nuno Alves Pereira was a soldier and strategist in the Middle Ages. He practiced as a simple brother in the Carmelite community at the Carmo Monastery in Lisbon. He was canonized by Pope Benedict 16 in April 2009

Beautiful 16th century Manueline style church.