The grave of «Henry the Navigator»

 

My wife, my son, my sister-in-law and me we have travelled of «Pedras d’el Rei» in Tavira, Portugal, to our home in Oporto. In the middle of the journey I begged to my wife we must visit the «Mosteiro da Batalha» near Leiria city. And we did. When we arrived at Batalha village, the monastery dominated the landscape. At its surroundings there were many shops of souvenirs and my wife and sister-in-law they were there in the shops. I entered in the monastery and bought a ticket of 6€. The church was huge, silent, welcoming, very nice and I bent in a bench and crossed myself. I was some time in thoughts and, finally, I stood up and started the visit of the monastery. In the first big, and wide, chapel, I stepped in and calmly saw, in the middle of the chapel, a huge tomb of carved limestone, a wide, high and nice tomb. But, big surprise: it was the tomb of Don Joćo I of Portugal and the Queen Philippa of Lancaster. Immediately, it was a great surprise indeed! And I admired, minutely and slowly, the statues carved on top of the tomb, lying down, and with the hands in position of prayer. I admired, lingeringly, how huge was the tomb, how high and wide it was. And very nice, “luminous” and carved. But, when I turned my eyes to the sides of this luminous and big chapel, I saw more tombs of lesser dimensions. And, of the surprise, I was in shock now, in great commotion and I had my eyes full of tears. The graves, they were of the sons of Don Joćo I of Portugal and the Queen Philippa of Lancaster. And there, there was the grave of my big hero, the grave of «Henry the Navigator» with a metallic laurel wreath in the ground and at the side. Sorry, but I never forget the time I lived in Africa with my father, mother and brother because this hero did his work!! The school of navigation!!

 

The chapel is very nice, very carved and, mainly, very luminous, a feast for our eyes.

 

 I resumed my visit to the monastery and I enjoyed very much. All the monastery is built in limestone.

http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosteiro_da_batalha