Unfinished Business. Batalha, Portugal. August 2016.
One of my favorite stops in Portugal was the small town of Batalha, home of the Batalha Monastery aka Monastery of the Battle. The Batalha Monastery was constructed as a tribute to the Portugese and English victory over the Crown of Castile (Spain) in a battle that prevented the Castilians from claiming the Portugese throne in 1385. This photo captures my favorite part of the monastery - the Unfinished Chapels. These incomplete open air chapels are a beautiful reminder that the monastery has remained unfinished for over 500 years. Construction began on the building in 1386 and took over 100 years to "complete." Plans to finish the chapels were abandoned when resources were reallocated to build the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon.
I did not fully grasp Manueline-style architecture until I saw Royal Cloisters, Unfinished Chapels, and other spaces within the monastery. The beautiful lacework carved into the exterior and pillars of the chapel with ornamental angels, ropes, branches, and leaves are all signatures of the Manueline style. Today, the octogonal rotunda and seven chapels serve as reminders of the late-Gothic Portugese style.....as well as a homey refuge for birds.