Arch at the Entrance of the Round Church in Convento de Cristo
The Convento de Cristo was larger than I thought it would be. I know it is a convent turned fortress but from the outside it didn’t look that large. I was exploring the inside of the complex and was surprised as to how large it was. In all the exploration, it was sometimes easy to forget that this place is a monastery. And if there is one thing which most monasteries or convents have in common is that they have a church inside it. The tour was guiding us to what is probably the most beautiful part of the Convento de Cristo.
Detail of the Arch at the Round Church at Convento de Cristo
The church is described as a round church and it is what it says. Technically the round church has sixteen sides but who is counting? As one approaches the church, one can see the designs the improve exponentially. The entrance to the church has an arch which is richly decorated with paintings of the life of Jesus Christ. There are also Manueline elements to the arch. I can already see the inside of the church from the arch and I almost want to rush into the church to see what is an obviously wonderfully designed church.
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