Batalha Monastery and a Working Farm

About an hour’s drive south is the Monastery of Batalha, built to commemorate a battle that secured the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians in 1385. The place was abandoned 500 years later when a nationalistic government expelled the religious orders. Convents, monasteries, churches, manor homes and holdings of other institutes that were supported by religious donations were put up for sale, with the intention of placing the land and goods in the hands of the poor, but most did not have the money to purchase them.

The church of the monastery is narrow and high—over 100 feet tall, the highest in Portugal. Although most of the stained glass and statues did not survive the 1755 earthquake, the decorative limestone carving remains in its original state, and is undergoing cleaning to better display the details. Last year, while pressure-washing the interior, 15th century graffiti was uncovered.

The architectural style is called Manueline, after King Manual, who liked to incorporate maritime elements (ropes) and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Portuguese navigators (corn, peppercorns, artichokes, flowers, etc.).

Driving on, we enjoyed a locally produced buffet lunch at Companhia das Lezírias, a traditional Portuguese farmstead. The farm is the largest agricultural and forestry enterprise in Portugal, established in 1836.

Among the farm’s many endeavors, they are a breeder of Lusitano horses. Originally bred for war and bullfighting, Lusitano’s are now highly regarded for their skills in equestrian dressage. These are the breed of horses used in Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings movies.

Agricultural products of the farm include rice (especially the high-quality Ariete variety), beef cattle, pine trees (firewood and furniture), cork oak, pine nuts, sunflowers for a genetic bank, olive trees, wine grapes and wine production.

They are working toward sustainability in many areas—forest management, reducing their carbon footprint in wine bottle production (50% less glass), and reducing reliance on chemicals using drones for precision agriculture. More than seven universities are using the farm as a living laboratory for research projects.

We got rained on from time to time-to-time today (first time in nearly a month of travel), but it didn’t affect us too much. It was a long driving day with interesting stops along the way!Read more