REGIONS
CENTRE OF PORTUGAL DON’T MISS BATALHA A game changing event for the Portuguese nation took place on August 1385 near the spot where the Monastery of Batalha stands : Dom João of Avis – future King of Portugal – defeated the Castilians in the epic battle of Aljubarrota putting an end to the aspiration to the portuguese throne by the King of Castile and assuring the portuguese Independence. King João dedicated the monastery to the Virgin Mary and donated it to the Dominican order. The construction lasted over centuries and is a masterpiece of flamboyant gothic and manueline exuberance. Its architectural value and historical significance spurred the classification of the monument as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
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