Batalha is a peaceful little town, but it was the setting for Portugal’s most important battle, the Batalha de Aljubarrota (1385). This battle secured Portuguese independence from Castilian, and in honour King João I constructed the Mosteiro da Batalha, which today this is the finest monastery in Portugal.
This grand monastery represents the transition from Gothic to Manueline styles architectural and, though never completed after 100 years of building works, heavily influenced Portuguese architecture for future generations. Batalha may only be a small town, but the Mosteiro da Batalha should make it high on your list of places to visit in Portugal.
