Crato

Crato lies in the inland Alentejo, where it became the seat of the Portuguese priory of the Knights Hospitaller in 1340. The head of the order in Portugal was accordingly known as the Prior of Crato. Nearby, the fortified monastery of Flor da Rosa combined a church and convent with a noble residence, reflecting the order's religious and military character. Its history was tied to the priors who governed Hospitaller lands and maintained the institution's place in the Portuguese kingdom.