r them
'as if they were in Thomar itself.' This boon was obtained by Dom
Affonso V. at his uncle Prince Henry's wish.

When Prince Henry died he was succeeded as duke of Vizeu and as governor
of the order by his nephew Fernando, the second son of Dom Duarte.
Fernando died ten years later and was succeeded by his elder son Diogo,
who was murdered fifteen years later by Dom Joao II. in 1485. Then the
title passed to his brother Dom Manoel, and with it the administration
of the order, a position which he retained when he ascended the throne,
and which has since belonged to all his successors.

Prince Henry finding that the old Templar church with its central altar
was unsuited to the religious services of the order, built a chapel or
small chancel out from one of the eastern sides and dedicated it to St.
Thomas of Canterbury. But as the order advanced in wealth and in power
this addition was found to be far too small, and in a general chapter
held by Dom Manoel in 1492 it was determined to build a new Coro large
enough to hold all the knights and leaving the high altar in its old
place in the centre of the round church.

In all the Templar churches in England, when more room was wanted, a
chancel was built on to the east, so that the round part, instead of
containing the altar, has now become merely a nave or a vestibule. At
Thomar, however, probably because it was already common to put the
stalls in a gallery over the west door, it was determined to build the
new Coro to the west, and this was done by breaking through the two
westernmost sides of the sixteen-sided building and inserting a large
pointed arch.

Although it was decided to build in 1492, little or nothing can have
been done for long, if it is true that Joao de Castilho who did the work
was only born about the year 1490; and that he did it is certain, as he
says himself that he 'built the Coro, the chapter-house--under the
Coro--the great arch of the church, and the principal door.'

Two stone carvers, Alvaro Rodrigues and Diogo de Arruda, were working
there in 1512 and 1513, and the stalls were begun in July 1511, so that
some progress must have been made by them. If then Joao de Castilho did
the work he must have been born some time before 1490, as he could
hardly have been entrusted with such a work when a boy of scarcely
twenty.

Joao de Castilho, who is said to have been by birth a Biscayan, soon
became the most famous architect of his time. He not