The Church of Santa Maria do Olival in Tomar takes its name from the olive groves that once surrounded it, though its roots run deeper than any tree. Built in the 12th century as the spiritual headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal, this Gothic church doubled as a pantheon for the order's Grand Masters. Gualdim Pais, who founded Tomar in 1160 after six years fighting in the Holy Land, chose to be buried here beneath a plain stone slab, a gesture of humility from a man who had defended the castle against 6,000 Moorish warriors with just 300 knights.

The façade's five-pointed cross marks the wounds of Christ, and the separate bell tower, rare in Portugal, once sounded alarms when attackers approached. Inside, the nave descends below ground level: the Templars believed one had to enter the earth's womb before ascending to heaven.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours trace the Templar legacy through Tomar, connecting the church's secret burial rites and hidden underground tunnels to the founding of the Order of Christ and Portugal's Age of Discoveries.