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Church of Santa Maria do Olival

The Church of Santa Maria do Olival, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, served as the pantheon for the Order of the Temple and the Order of Christ from the 13th century onwards. Some of the masters of the Order are buried there, including Gualdim Pais.
The church has a longitudinal plan with 3 naves and a tripartite chevet with quadrangular apse chapels and a pentagonal apse. The naves are defined by ogive arches and a large rose window above the portico that dominates the central nave. Probably built on the ruins of an old Benedictine monastery, reconstruction work in the 13th century gave the church its current aspect. Later, during the reigns of Manuel I and João III, the church underwent further repair and remodelling work, mainly in the south gallery.
Thanks to the influence of the Order of Christ, Santa Maria do Olival became the mother church for all parishes in the Portuguese overseas territories. Classified as a national monument in 1910, the church is one of the emblematic Gothic buildings in Portugal.