The castle was founded in 1160 and comprised the walled village, the terreiro and the military house, and the knights' oratory, in a roundabout, Charola, completed in 1190.
In 1420, with the castle then seat of the Order of Christ, Infante D. Henrique, the Navigator, transforms the military house into a convent, for the branch of contemplative religious that he introduces into the Order of Christ.
At the beginning of the 16th century, D. Manuel I expands the Templar Rotunda to the west, with a new construction outside the walls, which begins a decorative discourse that celebrates the Portuguese maritime discoveries, the mystique of the Order of Christ.
Almourol Castle, located on an island in the middle of the Tagus River, recalls the period of the Reconquest of the territory. Its history recalls the reconquest of the territory during the Middle Ages. When the Christians arrived here in 1129, the castle already existed under the name of Almorolan, having been included in the lands given to the Templars, under the orders of Gualdim Pais.
According to an inscription at the entrance, the reconstruction works date back to 1171. Quinta da Cardiga belonged to the Knights Templar and the Order of Christ. The beautiful building retains a Manueline portal and 17th and 18th century tiles. Next to the large house are the former farm workers' dwellings.
