Sunday, June 4th

12:00 PM Lunch

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM Plenary

Traces of the Quest in Prehistoric Iberia 

Leonard George, Ph.D.

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM Break

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Plenary

Saudade and Fado:

The Spirit/Breath of Portugal in Pursuit of the Beyond

Paulo Borges, Ph.D. 

4:45 PM – 6: 15 PM Plenaries

Priscillian of Spain:

A Last Stronghold of Gnostic Christianity

Paul Bembridge, M.Phil.

The Grail Sagas and Castles, Catharism and Hermeticism:

The Iberian Background and Connections

Yuri Stoyanov, Ph.D.

7:30 PM Bus ride to castle for dinner 

An Evening at Tomar Castle in the Realm of the Templars

Monday, June 5th

Morning Plenaries 

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

From Medieval Chivalry and Prophecy to the Age of Discovery: 

The Iberian Matrix

Yuri Stoyanov, Ph.D.

10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Break

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

The Mystical Trilogy: Grail – Templars – Portugal

Nuno Ferreira Gonçalves

11:30 AM – 11:45 AM Break

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM

The Knights Templars: Reality and Legend

Christopher McIntosh, D.Phil.

1:00 PM Lunch 

2:00 PM – 4 PM Walking Tours

Walking Tour of The Convento de Cristo in the Templar Castle of Tomar

or 

Walking Tour of Tomar and Visit to the Abraham Zacuto Museum and Synagogue

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM Workshops

Fernando Pessoa:

The Beyond-God and the Way of the Serpent 

Paulo Borges 

The Moon Within the Soul:

Renaissance Neoplatonism in Iberia 

Leonard George, Ph.D.

Parzival, The Templars, and Grail Christianity  

Paul Bembridge, M.Phil.

7:30 PM Dinner 

9:00 PM Fado Performance 

Fado Poema

with Tânia Cardoso, Rodrigo Crespo and Catarina Anacleto

Tuesday, June 6th

9:00 AM Bus ride to Barquinho

9:30 AM Arrive at Hermetic Museum

The Portuguese Hermetic Museum (in Vila Nova da Barquinha)

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Tours of Hermetic Museum and Templar Interpretation Center

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Break

Morning Plenaries

11:00 AM

Portugal: Europe’s Hidden Visage

Manuel Gandra

12:00 PM

The Harmony of the Stars:

Music on the Pilgrim’s Road to Compostela

Marjorie Roth, DMA, Ph.D.

1:00 PM Lunch 

2:00 PM

A Visit to Almourol Castle

2:00 – 2:15 PM

Introduction to Almourol Castle by Manuel Gandra followed by an optional boat trip to the castle. An additional bus ride back to the hotel will be offered to anyone who wants to have a break.

5:00 PM Bus ride back to Tomar 

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Workshops

Prince Henry the Navigator: 

His Life and the Search for the Fabled Kingdom of Prester John

Malcolm Kennard, Ph.D.

Portugal After the Earthquake, as seen by William Beckford

Joscelyn Godwin, Ph.D. 

8:00 PM Dinner

Wednesday, June 7th

Morning Plenaries

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

From the Legacy of Al-Andalus to Pessoa’s Neo-Templarism

Fabrizio Boscaglia, Ph.D.

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Break

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

Lima de Freitas and the Soul of Portugal

Joscelyn Godwin, Ph.D.

12:30 PM Lunch

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Walking Tours

Walking Tour of the Convento de Cristo in the Templar Castle of Tomar

or 

Walking Tour of Tomar and Visit to the Abraham Zacuto Museum and Synagogue

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM Afternoon Workshops

THE LUSIADS: Experiencing Camoes’ Epic Poem of the Age of Discovery

Nuno Ferreira Gonçalves

Platonic Principles in High Medieval Churches 

Scott Olsen, Ph.D.

The Strange World of Neo-Templarism

Christopher Mcintosh, D. Phil.

7:00 PM Bus ride to Obidos

The Fairy Tale Medieval Town of Obidos

8:00 PM Dinner

Thursday, June 8th

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Closing circle

Followed by bus back to Lisbon or departure for Post Conference Tour  

*Schedule subject to change.