Monuments

The Convent of Santa Iria was built in the 16th century, on the site of an ancient building, erected prior to the foundation of the castle. It is located on the banks of the River Nabão, in the site where Saint Iria was martyred, decapitated at the orders of Britaldo. Her body was thrown into the river and floated until Santarém, where legend recounts that the waters of the River Tagus opened up, revealing her coffin. A stone monument in the centre of the river indicates the place where the miracle is reported to have taken place.

The church was built at the same time as extension works in the Convent of Christ. The Northern façade includes a Renaissance doorway. The interior of this small-scale church includes the Chapel of Valles, with a notable limestone altarpiece that is believed to be the work of João de Ruão. In the exterior, below a niche containing a statue of Santa Iria, there is a stone relief representing a bull - that several esoteric specialists have claimed has a symbolic meaning given that the animal is looking towards the north, in the direction of the Templar Castle and the constellation of Arcuturus, related to King Arthur, the legend of the Holy Grail and the Round Table.