A new look at the Treasure Chapel

The Christian conquest of Portuguese territory in the Middle Ages had the essential support of the Military Orders, such as the Order of Santiago, at certain times based in Alcácer do Sal, which helped to stabilize the southern border with the Muslims . The excavation of the Chapel of the Treasury of the Sanctuary of Senhor dos Mártires (12th-16th centuries) revealed a selected funerary context. The ritual, the booty and the paleopathological remains confirm that the chapel was used as a burial place for knights possibly linked to the taking of Alcácer (1160 and 1217) and high-ranking members of the Order of Santiago, functioning as a pantheon. Foundations of a previous religious building were also discovered , which reinforces the continued sacredness of the site, as in other Christian spaces. The excavations provided relevant data for understanding the history of Alcácer, the Order of Santiago, the medieval knights and the early history of Portugal.