Convento de São Bento de Cástris

Convento de São Bento de Cástris is a Cistercian monastery featuring a Manueline church with vaulted ceilings decorated with 18th-century tiles depicting scenes from Saint Bernard's life. The tilework covers walls throughout the building and forms a key part of its interior design.

Founded in 1274 by Urraca Ximenes, it was the first female Cistercian community south of the Tagus River in Portugal. The monastery operated for roughly 600 years before closing in 1890 and converting to an agricultural school.

The chapter house blends Gothic details with Renaissance decoration, while the 16th-century cloister shows how the sisters organized their daily lives within these walls. The spaces reflect the rhythm of monastic community that once filled them.

The site sits about 2 kilometers from Portas da Lagoa along the road toward Arraiolos and now operates as a cultural center. Regular guided tours are available to help visitors explore the compound and its history.

After closing in 1890, the building first housed an agricultural school and later the male section of an orphanage. This unexpected second life shows how religious structures found new purposes in modern times.