The Town Hall Building was built at the beginning of the 16th century; nowadays it hosts the Municipality of Tomar. The Town Hall, former Royal Palace of Tomar, is located at Praça da República, facing the Church of Saint John The Baptist, in the square where, at the time of Henry the Navigator, the local toll-free fair was held.
It was King Manuel I who ordered its construction to receive the Royal Palace, only after it was donated to the Municipality. In what concerns its architecture, it is interesting to note that despite its date of construction, it does not display any Manueline elements; this is because in the second half of the 16th century, it was renovated following a mannerist design (inspired by the style of the Hall Churches), eliminating any traces of the previous style. However, the royal symbols of King Manuel, the Fortunate have remained, such as the Royal Coat of Arms, the Armillary Sphere and the Cross of Christ (the latter, already with King Filipe’s adaptation).
The building has a rectangular plan, with the main façade showing three tall and harmonious arches, through which there is access to the building and to the elegant vaulted gallery that precedes the entrance. Over this archway that dominates the façade, the balconies with iron guards overlooking the square stand out. In turn, the back façade is extremely beautiful, also divided into three floors, each traced by seven-span arcades, with perfect round arches. The upper floor has open central arcades, and on the top floor the arcade is completely torn, making it a pleasant balcony.
Inside the Town Hall Building, we highlight the exhibition room and the noble hall, whose roof bears an old coat of arms of the city.
Seen from the square, the Town Hall Building has as background part of the Seven Hills Forest, the Convent of Christ and the Templar Castle, forming an ensemble that completes a beautiful scenario.
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:30 am
2:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Closed: Holidays and weekends.
