The choir is the resting place of King Manuel I and his wife Maria of Aragon (tombs on the left side), and King João III and his wife Queen Catherine of Austria.
Here we have the apotheosis of a royal family, and as it is only fitting, the style of the choir is classically Roman.
Under the reign of Manuel I, the great explorer Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route around Africa to India, laying the foundation for Portugal’s wealth, at the same time spelling an end to the dominance of Venice. All of a sudden the Arabian Middle East could be circumvented, spices and all the riches of India could be traded without paying taxes to a dozen intermediaries.