Stock Photo - Batalha Monastery Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitoria de Batalha is a magnificent example of medieval Portuguese architecture. In 1385, King Joao I vowed that if his outnumbered army defeated the Castilians at the important Battle of Aljubarrota, he would build a magnificent monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. At the north_west corner a multifoliated screen encloses a square for a fountain. The whole cloister is so rich in carvings that it resembles the finest piece of lacework in stone. Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira, was a Portuguese general of great success who had a decisive role in the 1383_1385 Crisis that assured Portugal´s independence from Castile. The Monastery was designated a World Heritage Site in 1983.