Statue of Gualdim Pais

The statue of Gualdim Pais, located in the centre of Praça da República, pays tribute to one of the most important and emblematic personalities in the Templars' history in Portugal. Founder of the town of Tomar, Gualdim Pais was born in the region of Braga, in 1118. As a squire of King D. Afonso Henriques, he fought along with the King against the Moors, and was ordained a knight by the monarch on the battlefield of Ourique, in 1139. Afterwards, he left for Palestine, where he remained for 5 years as a Knight of the Order of the Temple. In 1157, he returned to Portugal and was named Master of the Order of the Temple for Portugal, which position he held for 40 years. He died in Tomar, in 1195, and is buried in the Church of Santa Maria of Olivais, the pantheon of the masters of the Temple.
The monument was inaugurated in 1940, and has a double authorship: Anjos Teixeira, was the author of the model approved in 1933, and Macário Dinis, on the death of the former, ended up building it in 1935, with some changes. On a prime location — at the foot of the Castle and of the Convent of Christ —, it is one of the most symbolic places of the historic centre, and just a short walk is enough to come face to face with the Town Hall building, with the Church of Saint John the Baptist, and with local trade.