Batalha, Portugal: Revered Monastery - Rick Steves' Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite

I like driving in Portugal. Like all of Europe, there's been a huge investment in infrastructure, and in this small country, laced with new freeways, you can get around in a hurry. Standing boldly just off the highway is one of the most revered sites in Portugal. Both historic and sacred, this is the Monastery of Batalha. Batalha means battle, and this was built to celebrate a pivotal battle in 1385 when Portugal beat the mightier Spaniards. This victory allowed for independence under a Portuguese king, rather than rule by a Spanish king. This monastery and its church, the symbol of Portugal's national pride, were built by Portugal's King John I. It's an ornate, late-Gothic structure with pointed arches, fanciful gargoyles, and flamboyant pinnacles representing the flickering flames of the Holy Spirit. The nave, with its towering pillars and warmly lit by stained glass, has an air of solemn simplicity. This is classic Gothic from Europe's Age of Faith. The adjacent cloister, designed for meditation and tranquility, is Manueline. That's the uniquely Portuguese style named after King Manuel, who ruled around 1500. It features symbolic motifs that celebrate the sea and trade. Coils of rope, pearls, artichokes, and lotus flowers from the recently explored Orient. Armillary spheres symbolize how, with expert navigational skills, Portugal sailed the globe.