Tomar (), also known in English as Thomar (the ancient name of Tomar), is a Portuguese city and a municipality in the historical

Ribatejo The Ribatejo () is the most central of the traditional provinces of Portugal, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the Tagus river (''Ribatejo'' translates to "upper Tagus", or more precisely, "up the Tagus" relative ...

Portuguese

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

, and in Santarém district. The town proper has a population of about 20,000. The municipality population in 2011 was 40,677,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
/ref> in an area of .Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país
/ref> The town of Tomar was created inside the walls of the

Convento de Cristo The Convent of Christ () is a former Catholic convent in Tomar, Portugal. Originally a 12th-century Knights Templar, Templar Fortification, stronghold, when the order was dissolved in the 14th century the Portuguese branch was turned into the Or ...

, constructed under the orders of Gualdim de Pais, the fourth Grand Master of the

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

in Portugal in the late 12th century. Tomar was the last Templar town to be commissioned for construction and one of Portugal's historical jewels. The town was especially important in the 15th century when it was a center of Portuguese overseas expansion under

Henry the Navigator Princy Henry of Portugal, Duke of Viseu ( Portuguese: ''Infante Dom Henrique''; 4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator (), was a Portuguese prince and a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese ...

, the Grand Master of the Order of Christ, successor organization to the Knights Templar in Portugal.

Geography

Tomar lies in the most fertile region of Portugal, and one of the most fertile in the whole of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

: the

("by the river

Tagus The Tagus ( ; ; ) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales between Cuenca and Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally westward, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon. Name T ...

") meadows. It is located in the district of Santarém. The predominant landscape is agricultural, consisting of

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

, fig, and

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

trees. The seat of the municipality is the city of Tomar, which comprises the parishes of Santa Maria dos Olivais and São João Batista. Tomar is also the capital of the

Médio Tejo The Intermunicipal communities of Portugal, Comunidade Intermunicipal do Médio Tejo (; English language, English: ''Middle Tagus'') is an administrative division in Portugal. It was created in December 2008, replacing the former ''Comunidade Urban ...

(Mid-

river) region. The Nabão River cuts across what was the ancient city of Nabantia: its inhabitants are called ''Nabantinos''.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 11 civil parishes ('' freguesias''): * Além da Ribeira e Pedreira * Asseiceira * Carregueiros * Casais e Alviobeira * Madalena e Beselga * Olalhas * Paialvo * Sabacheira * São Pedro de Tomar * Tomar (São João Baptista) e Santa Maria dos Olivais * Serra e Junceira

History

Under the modern city lies the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

city of ''Sellium''. After the conquest of the region from the

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

in the Portuguese

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

, the land was granted in 1159 as a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

to the Order of the Knights Templar. In 1160, Gualdim Pais, the Order's Grand master in Portugal and Tomar's somewhat mythical founder, laid the first stone of the Castle and Convent of the Knights Templar that would become the headquarters of the Order in Portugal. Local traditional legends preach that the choice was for mystical reasons and by divine inspiration, and from practices by the Grand Master of

geomancy Geomancy, a compound of Greek roots denoting "earth divination", was originally used to mean methods of divination that interpret geographic features, markings on the ground, or the patterns formed by soil, rock (geology), rocks, or sand. Its d ...

, based on exercises taken from luck and predestination. Reinforcing this magical view is the setting of the site among a small chain of seven elevations (''lugar dos sete montes''), which became known as the ''city of seven hills'', as the seven hills of

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

, the

seven hills of Rome The seven hills of Rome (, ) east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the city. Hills The seven hills are: * Aventine Hill (Latin: ''Collis Aventinus''; Italian: ''Aventino'') * Caelian Hill (''Coll ...

or the seven columns of

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. The ''

foral 200px, Foral of Castro Verde - Portugal The ''Carta de Foral'', or simply ''Foral'', was a royal document in Portugal and its former empire, whose purpose was to establish a ''concelho'' (Council) and regulate its administration, borders and priv ...

'' or feudal contract was granted in 1162 by the Grand Master to the people. The Templars ruled from Tomar a vast region of central Portugal which they pledged to defend from Moorish attacks and raids. Like many lords of the unpopulated former frontier region of central Portugal, the villagers were given relatively liberal conditions in comparison with those of the northern regions of Portugal, in order to attract new immigrants. Those inhabitants who could sustain a horse were obliged to pay military service in return for privileges. They were not allowed the title of

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

which was reserved to the

Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a military order of the Catholic faith, and one of the most important military orders in Western Christianity. They were founded in 11 ...

s. Women were also admitted to the Order, although they did not fight. In 1190 Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, an Almohad caliph, and his army attacked Tomar. However the knights and their 72-year-old leader, Gualdim Pais, kept them at bay. A plaque commemorates this bloody battle at the Porta do Sangue at the Castelo Templário (Castle of Tomar). In 1314, under pressure from the

Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...

, the order was suppressed.

Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...

, who owed the Templars huge debts, held the pope a virtual prisoner and coerced him to suppress the order on bases of false accusations and forced confessions. The Order was suppressed in most of Europe and its holdings were to be transferred to the Knights Hospitaler. Instead, King Dinis negotiated the transfer of the Order's possessions and personnel in Portugal to a newly created Order of Christ. This Order moved in 1319 to

Castro Marim Castro Marim (), officially the Town of Castro Marim (), is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,747, in an area of 300.84 km2. The current mayor is Francisco Amaral, elected ...

, but in 1356 it returned to Tomar. In the 15th century and thereafter, the (ordained) Grand Master of the Order was nominated by the Pope and the (lay) Master or Governor by the King, instead of being elected by the monks.

was made the Governor of the Order, and it is believed that he used the resources and knowledge of the Order to succeed in his enterprises in Africa and in the Atlantic. The

Order of Christ Cross Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

was painted in the sails of the caravels that crossed the seas, and the

Catholic missions Missionary work of the Catholic Church has often been undertaken outside the geographically defined parishes and dioceses by religious orders who have people and material resources to spare, and some of which specialized in missions. Eventually, p ...

in the new lands were under the authority of the Tomar clerics until 1514. Henry, enriched by his overseas enterprises, was the first ruler to improve the buildings of the

since their construction by Gualdim Pais. He also ordered dams to be built to control the Nabão River and swamps to be drained. This allowed the burgeoning town to attract more settlers. Henry ordered the new streets to be designed in a rational, geometrical fashion, as they can still be seen today. Convento Cristo December 2008-8

In 1438, King Duarte, who had fled

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

because of the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

, died here. Just after 1492 with the

expulsion of Jews from Spain The Expulsion of Jews from Spain was the expulsion of practicing Jews following the Alhambra Decree in 1492, which was enacted to eliminate their influence on Spain's large ''converso'' population and to ensure its members did not revert to Judais ...

, the town increased further with Jewish refugee

artisans An artisan (from , ) is a skilled worker, skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by handicraft, hand. These objects may be wikt:functional, functional or strictly beauty, decorative, for example furnit ...

and traders. The very large Jewish minority dynamized the city with new trades and skills. Their experience was vital in the success of the new trade routes with Africa. The original synagogue, the Synagogue of Tomar still stands. In the reign of

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate (), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, as monarch. Manu ...

the convent took its final form within the

Manueline The Manueline (, ), occasionally known as Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese architectural style originating in the 16th century, during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. Manueline architecture inco ...

renaissance style. With the growing importance of the town as master of Portugal's overseas empire, the leadership of the Order was granted to the King by the Pope. However, under pressure from the monarchs of Spain, the King soon proclaimed by

edict An edict is a decree or announcement of a law, often associated with monarchies, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". ''Edict'' derives from the Latin edictum. Notable edicts * Telepinu ...

that all the Jews remaining within the territory of Portugal would be after a short period considered Christians, although simultaneously he forbade them to leave, fearing that the exodus of Jewish men of knowledge and capital would harm Portugal's burgeoning commercial empire. Jews were largely undisturbed as nominal Christians for several decades, until the establishment of a Tribunal of the

Portuguese Inquisition The Portuguese Inquisition (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Inquisição Portuguesa''), officially known as the General Council of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Portugal, was formally established in Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal in 15 ...

by the initiative of the clergy in the town. Under persecution, wealthier Jews fled, while most others were forced to convert. Hundreds of both Jews and

New Christians New Christian (; ; ; ; ; ) was a socio-religious designation and legal distinction referring to the population of former Jews, Jewish and Muslims, Muslim Conversion to Christianity, converts to Christianity in the Spanish Empire, Spanish and Po ...

were arrested,

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...

d and about 1,000 were executed in autos da fé, in a frenzy of persecution that peaked around 1550. Many others (c. 38,000) were expropriated of their property or penance. Jewish ascendancy, more than Jewish religion, together with personal wealth determined who would be persecuted, since the expropriations reverted to the institution of the Inquisition itself. With the persecution of its merchants and professionals Tomar lost most of its relevance as a trading centre. New Christian names among the inhabitants are very common today. In 1581 the city was the seat of the

Portuguese Cortes In the medieval Kingdom of Portugal, the Cortes was an assembly of representatives of the estates of the realm – the nobility, clergy and bourgeoisie. It was called and dismissed by the King of Portugal at will, at a place of his choosing.O' ...

(feudal parliament) which acclaimed the King of Spain Felipe II as Portugal's Filipe I (see

Iberian Union The Iberian Union is a historiographical term used to describe the period in which the Habsburg Spain, Monarchy of Spain under Habsburg dynasty, until then the personal union of the crowns of Crown of Castile, Castile and Crown of Aragon, Aragon ...

). During the 18th century Tomar was one of the first regions of Portugal to develop industry. In the reign of

Maria I ''Dom (title), Dona'' Maria I (Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana; 17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) also known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 ...

, with royal support, a textile factory of Jácome Ratton was established against the opposition of the Order. The hydraulic resources of the river Nabão were used to supply energy to this and many other factories, namely paper factories, foundries, glassworks, silks and soaps. Tomar was occupied by the French during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

, against which it rebelled. The

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

, with his Portuguese and English troops, liberated the city afterwards. In 1834 all the religious orders, including the Order of Christ, were disbanded.

International relations

Tomar is twinned with: *

Emden Emden () is an Independent city (Germany), independent town and seaport in Lower Saxony in the north-west of Germany and lies on the River Ems (river), Ems, close to the Germany–Netherlands border, Netherlands border. It is the main town in t ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Attractions

Tomar attracts many tourists because of its varied monuments. These include: * Castle and Convent of the Order of Christ –

Unesco The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

: An ensemble of 12th to 16th century architecture and art, it is the main monument of the city and one of the most important in Portugal. * Pegões Aqueduct – Built between 1503 and 1614 to bring water to the convent of Christ in Tomar under command of king Philip I, the aqueduct is 6 kilometers long and in places reaches a height of 30 meters. It is the biggest and most important construction of Philip I in Portugal. * Church of Santa Maria do Olival: This 13th-century Gothic church was built as a burial ground for the

and their treasure. * Synagogue of Tomar: the best preserved mediaeval

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

of Portugal (and one of two pre-expulsion Synagogues in the country), built in the mid-15th century the Jewish community of Tomar. Since 1939 it houses the Jewish Museum Abraão Zacuto, with pieces related to Jewish history in Portugal. * Church of Saint John the Baptist (''São João Baptista''): The main church of Tomar is located in the main square of the town, in front of the Municipality (17th century) and a modern statue of Gualdim Pais. The church was built between the 15th and 16th centuries. In addition to its architectural interest it is noted for several panels painted in the 1530s by one of Portugal's most renowned Renaissance artists,

Gregório Lopes Gregório Lopes (''c.'' 1490 – 1550) was one of the most important Renaissance painters from Portugal. Biography Gregório Lopes was educated in the workshop of Jorge Afonso, the court painter of King Manuel I. Later he himself became c ...

. *Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception (''Nossa Senhora da Conceição''): Chapel built between 1532 and 1540 in pure Renaissance style, begun by João de Castilho and finished by Diogo de Torralva. It was intended to be the burial chapel of King John III. *Church and Convent of Saint Iria: An early 16th century building located near the Nabão river. * Museu dos Fosforos (Matchbox Museum) – The biggest private matchbox collection in Europe. * Museu de Arte Moderna – Colecção José Augusto França (art gallery) * Casa Museu Fernando Lopes Graça * Casa dos Cubos (art gallery) The streets and squares of the picturesque centre of Tomar are organised following a chessboard pattern, a rare feature for a mediaeval city, instituted by Prince Henry the Navigator, which later inspired the pattern used for the rebuilding of Lisbon after the earthquake in 1755. Scattered throughout the town there are many interesting houses with

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

and Romantic façades. By the river Nabão, near the bridge, there is a park and garden that offer views of the city and surroundings.

Schools and education

Tomar has several schools including primary, junior high school, high schools and a polytechnic. These include: * Escola do 1º Ciclo dos Templários – primary school * Escola do 1º Ciclo de Santo António – primary school * Escola do 1º Ciclo de Infante D. Henrique – primary school * Escola do Ensino Básico 2+3 Gualdim Pais – junior high school * Escola do Ensino Básico 2+3 D. Nuno Álvares Pereira – junior high school, former high school and the oldest one in the town. * Escola do Ensino Básico 2+3 de Santa Iria – junior high school * Escola Secundária Santa Maria do Olival – high school * Escola Secundária Jácome Ratton – high school * Instituto Politécnico de Tomar – polytechnic

Local festival and events

* '' Festa dos Tabuleiros'' (Trays Festival), an ancient tradition in Tomar, is the most important festival celebrated in the city, attracting people from all over the world. The festival is held every four years, the last being held in June and July 2023. The local population parades in pairs with the girls carrying ''tabuleiros'' on their heads. The ''tabuleiro'' is made of 30 stacked pieces of bread, either in 6 rows of 5 or 5 rows of 6, decorated with flowers. At the top of the ''tabuleiro'' is a crown which normally contains either a white dove, symbolising the Holy Spirit, or the ''esfera armilar'' (

armillary sphere An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (on the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centered on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines o ...

), a symbol of the historical Portuguese maritime expansion. * ''Festa de Santa Iria'' * ''Nossa Senhora da Piedade'' (religious festival) - held on the first Sunday in September * ''Festival Estatuas Vivas de Tomar'' * Congress of Soups of Tomar * ''Festival Bons Sons'' (''Cem Soldos'') - one of the most popular portuguese music festivals * ''Festival Internacional de Tunas da Cidade de Tomar'' * ''Tomarimbando'' - ''Festival de Percussão de Tomar'' * ''Feira da Laranja Conventual'' * Beer Fest of Tomar * Summer fests in Tomar district – ''Serra Tomar'' is the largest one * Remember PimPim (1980s music festival) * Knights Templar Festival

Holidays

The municipal holiday day is March 1, and commemorates the day when the Templars' Master D. Gualdim founded the Templar City in 1160.

Local food specialities

* Fatias de Tomar * Beija-me depressa (kiss me quickly) - Estrelas Confeitery Almourol 034

Myths

*It is rumored that Tomar hides the world's greatest templar treasure. (Maurice Guinguand, ''L'or des Templiers: Gisors ou Tomar?'', 1973) *It is rumored that there is a secret passageway between the Santa Maria dos Olivais church and the Castle. *The Castle of Almourol nearby is where several bad events (deaths and tragic love stories) have taken place and is supposed to be haunted by a princess.

Sports

União de Tomar União Futebol Comércio e Indústria de Tomar, or more commonly União de Tomar, is a Portuguese association football club formed on 4 May 1914 and based in the city of Tomar.Rugby Clube de Tomar – rugby * Tenis Clube de Tomar – tennis * Centro Hípico Quinta de Azinhais – hiking * Sporting de Tomar – roller hockey and artistic roller skating * SF Gualdim Pais – gymnastics, swimming * Ginasio Clube de Tomar – gymnastics * Associação Tomarense de Aviação Ultraligeira (ATAUL) – aviation * AeroCalminhas – model aircraft flying * Pantanal Club – Nutic modelism * Associação de Natação do Distrito de Santarém (headquarters in Tomar) – swimming * Motor Clube de Tomar – motocross and off-road * Clube TT Minjoelho – off-road * Automovel Clube de Tomar – car rallying * Clube Amadores de Pesca de Tomar – fishing * Clube de Caça e Pesca da Zona dos Templários – hunting and fishing * CALMA, Clube de Actividades de Lazer e Manutenção – running and riding * Clube Columbófilo Tomarense – Columbofilia * Grupo Desportivo da Nabância – canoeing * Aventura Templar - water sports, boat rental, sky, paintball, etc. *SCOCS (Sport Clube Operário Cem Soldos) – judo * Equine Assisted Training – communication, leadership and management training with horses * Volley – volleyball * Volley de Praia – beach volleyball (this is played in a court with sand as Tomar is landlocked)Beach Volleyball in the Beachless City of Tomar in Portugal
/ref>

Notable people

Fernando Tamagnini de Abreu e Silva in 1917

* Saint Irene of Tomar (c. 635 – c. 653), Christian martyr * Angela Tamagnini (1770–1827), smallpox vaccination pioneer, resisted the French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars * Fernando Tamagnini de Abreu e Silva (1856–1924), cavalry officer and general of the Portuguese Army * Fernando Lopes-Graça (1906–1994), composer, conductor and musicologist * Nuno Viriato Tavares de Melo Egídio (1922–2011), general and

Governor of Macau The governor of Macau (; ) was a Portugal, Portuguese colonial official who headed the Portuguese Empire, colony of Portuguese Macau, Macau, before 1623 called captain-major (). The post was replaced on 20 December 1999 upon the handover of M ...

* Isabel Ruth (born 1940), actress * João Henriques (born 1972), football manager * Ana Laíns (born 1979),

fado Fado (; "destiny, fate") is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado ...

singer * Patrícia Sampaio (born 1999), judoka, 2024 Olympic Bronze winner

Films shot in Tomar

* 2024 Damsel, Directed by

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (born 5 December 1967) is a Spanish film director, script writer, and producer. He directed ''Intacto'' and ''28 Weeks Later'', the sequel to Danny Boyle's ''28 Days Later''. His film ''Esposados'' was nominated for the Ac ...

(with

Millie Bobby Brown Millie Bonnie Brown Bongiovi ( Brown; born 19 February 2004), known professionally as Millie Bobby Brown, is a British actress and producer. She gained recognition for playing Eleven (Stranger Things), Eleven in the Netflix science fiction ser ...

Ray Winstone Raymond Andrew Winstone (; born 19 February 1957) is an English television, stage, and film actor with a career spanning five decades. Having worked with many prominent directors, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Winstone is known ...

, Nick Robinson,

Shohreh Aghdashloo Shohreh Aghdashloo (, ; born Vaziri-Tabar, May 11, 1952) is an Iranian and American actress. She has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Satellite Award, in addition to a nomination for an Academy Award. Followin ...

, Angela Bassett,

Robin Wright Robin Gayle Wright (born April 8, 1966) is an American actress, producer and director. She has received accolades including a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for eight Primetime Emmy Awards. Wright first gained attention for her role ...

) * 2015 ''Cinzas e Brasas'', directed by Manuel Mozos, *2014 ''A Porta 21'', directed by João Marco (with Mário Spencer, Pedro Monteiro, Pedro Viegas) * 2011 ''Pão Nosso'', documentary directed by Mónica Ferreira and João Luz * 2009 ''Juan de Castillo constructor del mundo'', documentary directed by Alberto Luna Samperio (Etnocantabria) * 2009 ''La reine morte'', directed by Pierre Boutron (with Michel Aumont, Gaëlle Bona, Thomas Jouannet) * 2007 '"Teresa, el cuerpo de Cristo'', directed by Ray Loriga (with Paz Vega, Leonor Watling,

Geraldine Chaplin Geraldine Leigh Chaplin (born July 31, 1944) is an American actress whose long career has included multilingual roles in English, Spanish, French, Italian and German films. Geraldine is a daughter of Charlie Chaplin, the first of his eigh ...

, Eusebio Poncela) * 2007 ''Infante D. Henrique'', documentary directed by José Francisco Pinheiro (with Gonçalo Cadilhe) * 2006 ''Coach Trip'', TV series directed by Amanda Wood (with Brendan Sheerin, Andy Love) * 2005 ''Pedro e Inês'', TV series (with Pedro Laginha, Ana Moreira,

Nicolau Breyner João Nicolau de Melo Breyner Moreira Lopes (30 July 1940 – 14 March 2016), known professionally as Nicolau Breyner, was a Portuguese actor, screenwriter, producer, director and television host. He was one of the most well-known figures in Por ...

) * 2004 ''O Quinto Império - Ontem Como Hoje'', directed by

Manoel de Oliveira Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira (; 11 December 1908 – 2 April 2015) was a Portuguese film director and screenwriter born in Cedofeita, Porto. He first began making films in 1927, when he and some friends attempted to make a film about Wor ...

(with Ricardo Trêpa, Luís Miguel Cintra, Glória de Matos) * 2003 ''Volpone'', directed by Frédéric Auburtin (with

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor. An icon of French cinema, considered a world star in the same way as Alain Delon or Brigitte Bardot, he has completed over 250 films since 1967, most of which as ...

, Daniel Prévost, Gérard Jugnot, Robert Hirsch) * 2001 ''Quem És Tu?'', directed by João Botelho (with Patrícia Guerreiro, Susana Borges, Rui Morisson, Rogério Samora, José Pinto, Francisco D'Orey e Bruno Martelo) * 1985 ''Atlântida: Do Outro Lado do Espelho'', directed by Daniel Del Negro (with Luís Lucas, Teresa Madruga,

Ruy de Carvalho Ruy Alberto Rebelo Pires de Carvalho (born 1 March 1927) is a Portuguese actor. As of 2025, he is the world's oldest actor still working in theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usu ...

) * 1922 '' A Sereia de Pedra'', directed by Roger Lion (scenes shot in June and July 1922 at the Convento de Cristo and Ruinas do Castelo dos Templarios)

References

External links

City Hall official websiteThe Synagogue of Tomar , The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot
{{authority control Populated places in Santarém District 1160 establishments in Europe Municipalities of Santarém District 12th-century establishments in Portugal Knights Templar