Gualdim Pais

Sir Gualdim Pais was born in the Braga region, in 1118. Squire of King Afonso Henriques, they fought together against the Moors, being ordained a knight by the monarch on the Ourique Battle, in 1139. Afterwards, he left for Palestine, where he remained for 5 years as a Knight of the Knights Templar.

In 1157, he returned to Portugal and was named Master of the Order of the Temple in Portugal, a position he held for 40 years.

In Tomar, he founded the Castle and the Village, as witnessed by the tombstone in the Convent of Christ. In 1162, Tomar becomes the headquarters of the Templars in the Kingdom.

His long experience in the Holy Land allowed him to introduce important technical innovations in Portuguese military architecture in the 12th century, namely the escarpment, an important feature in the Tomar Castle.

Sir Gualdim Pais died in Tomar, in 1195, and is buried in the Santa Maria dos Olivais Church, pantheon of the masters of the Temple.