Convento de São Francisco

13th-century Franciscan convent and royal pantheon, now partly a bullfighting arena

The Convento de São Francisco is one of the oldest and historically most significant buildings in Santarém. Founded in 1242 by King Sancho II, it served as a royal pantheon for several generations of Portuguese kings and contained many important medieval tombs, several of which were later moved to Lisbon's Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.

The complex now houses a mix of municipal uses. Part of it is an arena used for bullfighting and events. The Gothic church remains and is occasionally open for visits — the carved stone elements and the remnants of royal funerary sculpture that remain here are worth seeing. The entire complex is a useful illustration of how medieval Portugal treated its royal heritage, and how the 19th century dismantled much of it.

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A story
The convent was built in 1242 at the command of Sancho II of Portugal, who later died here. For two centuries it served as the principal royal pantheon of Portugal, with the tombs of several medieval kings placed in its church. In the 19th century, after the dissolution of religious orders, the convent buildings were converted to various secular uses. Part of the complex became Santarém's bullring — an incongruous but distinctly Portuguese outcome for a medieval royal mausoleum.

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