Templar secrets unearthed: Medieval finds in Portugal's Dornes tower
In a medieval tower in Dornes, traces of the presence of the Templars were discovered, including both coins and tombstones. The find may assist with the precise dating of the burials.
In the medieval tower in Dornes, located in central Portugal, archaeologists uncovered traces of the activities of the order of the Templars, which was established in 1128. Among other items, tombstones and coins associated with this order were found there. The structure, constructed from slate and limestone in the early 13th century, served defensive purposes. Its foundations were based on the ruins of a Roman tower.
Since 2023, Portuguese archaeologists have been conducting research at the tower in Dornes. They discovered stone Templar tombstones and a walkway paved with slate slabs, located about 1 metre below the ground floor of the building. Bruno Gomes, the mayor of the Ferreira do Zêzere municipality where Dornes is located, reported that during the research conducted outside the structure, Templar coins were found. Archaeologists suspect these coins may have been buried at the same time as the bodies of knights, whose graves were placed within the building.
What I consider most relevant are precisely the findings that appeared near the tower during archaeological surveys, such as a necropolis that we want to preserve, along with artifacts, coins, and threads — said Gomes, as quoted by Portugal Pulse.
The history of the tower in Dornes
The tower in Dornes, which lost its military significance in the 16th century and was transformed into a bell tower, may become a small museum as early as 2025. Dornes was one of several places in Portugal where the Templars were present. The main headquarters of the order was in Tomar, where in 1162, the grand master Gualdim Pais built a castle. It was also at his initiative that the tower in Dornes was constructed.
In 1320, the Templars renewed their activities in Portugal as the Order of the Knights of Christ. In the centuries that followed, the monastic part of the castle in Tomar, located behind the defensive walls, was expanded.
Portugal was not the only country where one could encounter traces of the Templars’ presence. Their influence, to a greater or lesser degree, was marked in practically all Christian countries of Europe.
