Order of CHRIST

Order of CHRIST, a military order, founded by Dionysius I. king of Portugal, to animate his nobles against the Moors.

The arms of this order are gules, a patriarchal cross, charged with another cross argent: they had their residence at first at Castromarin, afterwards they removed to the city of Thomar, as being nearer to the Moors of Andalusia and Estremadura.