The beginning of the Convent of Christ takes place after the reconquest of Santarém in 1147 by D.Afonso Henriques, with the repopulation of the Ribatejo area. The construction of the Templar Castle in 1160 fits into this natural defensive line that was the Tagus. After that, the original Roman Charola was built. The Order of the Templars was dissolved between 13071312, and King D. Dinis nationalized it by giving it the name of Order of Christ in 1319. The Convent will undergo major extensions during the 18th century. XV and XVI, which we now see in the form of the present rectangular body of the Church. In 1529, during the reign of D. João III, a new cloister (15301565) was inaugurated, and today the main Renaissance cloister (15571580) was designed by Diogo de Torralva and modified by Philip Terzi in 1587 during the reign of Philip I. João de Castilho worked here until his death in 1553, building the cloisters of the Inn, Micha and Corvos, and the rooms of the Convent.