A Charola Templária de Tomar: Jerusalém Perdida

Abstract

The Order of the Temple had its origin in the East, with the objective of giving assistance to the pilgrims who headed to the Holy Land and the respective worshipping places. Therefore, the Knights of the Temple had direct access to these places of which the Holy Sepulchre, Jesus' Grave, and the Dome of the Rock were the most significant.

Soon after, reproductions of these constructions were built in many different places, to remind people of these sacred monuments. By reconstructing temples that reminded people of the sacred places of Jerusalem, the faithful did not have the need to make sacred journeys to the Holy Land once these were seen as the Holy Sepulchre itself, which made complete sense in a Europe "dominated by faith".

Being considered the moiment of Jesus Christ, the Holy Sepulchre was many times seen as the centre of the world during the XII and XIII centuries and sometimes during the XIV century. The city of Tomar and its Charola are considered to be a reflexion of all this.