Mosteiro

Mosteiro is the Portuguese word for monastery, a religious complex housing a community of monks or nuns. The term derives from Latin monasterium, from Greek monastērion, and in Portuguese usage it can refer to the building, the monastic community, or to places named after such institutions.

Across Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking regions, monasteries have been central to religious life, education, manuscript production, agriculture, and charitable activities. They shaped urban development, land management, and art, influencing local economies and culture for centuries.

Architecturally, Portuguese monasteries show a range of styles, from Romanesque and Gothic to Manueline. Notable examples include Mosteiro de Alcobaça (Cistercian, 12th-13th centuries; UNESCO), Mosteiro da Batalha (Gothic, 14th-15th centuries; UNESCO) and Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Manueline, 16th century; UNESCO).

The word is also common in place names; several towns and parishes in Portugal and Brazil bear the toponym Mosteiro, reflecting historical monastic influence in their origin or landscape.

Today, many former or active monasteries operate as religious centers, museums, cultural sites, or hotels, and numerous examples are protected as national monuments.