In the municipality of Tomar, in central Portugal

 Dom Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu, better known as Prince Henry the Navigator, was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15th-century European maritime discoveries and maritime expansion. Through his administrative direction, he is regarded as the main initiator of what would be known as the Age of Discovery.

==================================================================
(in Portugal) The municipality of Tomar, in central Portugal, is found on the Nabão River, a tributary of the Zêzere, northeast of Lisbon. One of central Portugal’s most appealing towns -- with its pedestrian-friendly historic center, its pretty riverside park frequented by swans, herons, and families of ducks, and its charming natural setting adjacent to the lush Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes (Seven Hills National Forest) -- Tomar wins lots of bonus points for aesthetics. Yet, to understand what makes it truly extraordinary, cast your gaze skyward to the crenellated walls of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Convento de Cristo, which forms a beautiful backdrop from almost any vantage point. Eight-and-a-half centuries after its founding, this venerable headquarters of the legendary Knights Templar is a rambling mixture of Gothic, Manueline, and Renaissance architecture that bears extravagant witness to its integral role in centuries of Portuguese history, from the founding of Portugal as a nation state to the Age of Discoveries.

+ The Convento do Cristo is impossible to miss when driving into the town of Tomar. The position of this Knights Templar headquarters is indicative of its function, as a stronghold for the Knights Templar, as demonstrated by its rugged appearance. Wrapped in splendor and mystery, the Knights Templar held enormous power in Portugal from the 12th to 16th centuries, and largely bankrolled the Age of Discoveries. Their headquarters are still enclosed within 12th-century walls. Founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, the Convento de Cristo is quite a stony expression of magnificence, with its chapels, cloisters, and choirs in diverging styles -- added over the centuries by successive kings and Grand Masters. The Charola, the extraordinary 16-sided Templar church, dominates the complex. The interior is otherworldly in its vast heights -- an awesome combination of simple forms and rich embellishment. It’s said that the circular design enabled knights to attend Mass on horseback. In the center stands an eerily Gothic high altar, while wall paintings date from the early 16th century. The Janela Manuelina (Manueline Window) on the church's western side is the most famous feature of the monastery -- a celebration of the Age of Discoveries, it is a Medusa tangle of snaking ropes, seaweed and cork boats, atop of which floats the Cross of the Order of Christ, and the royal arms and armillary spheres of Dom Manuel. Two serene, azulejo-decorated cloisters to the east of the Charola were built during the time when Prince Henry the Navigator was Grand Master of the order in the 15th century.