Did you know that sunny, quiet Portugal once incubated one of the great Jewish intellectual traditions? Portugal is so much more than sunny weather and beautiful architecture. It is home to hundreds of years of Sephardic history and well-preserved Jewish heritage sites, making it an excellent choice for a Jewish family tour of Portugal! By that time, Jews in Portugal and in northern Spain had occupied high positions in royal and diplomatic life for centuries and were particularly protected by Portuguese and Spanish monarchs against outbreaks of anti-Semitism among the populace. For ten centuries, The streets, and ports of the cities, and the vineyards, and the hills of the countryside echoed with Ladino. This Judeo-Portuguese creole served as a crucial bond for the community during its subsequent dispersal.
Meanwhile, in the Islamic-ruled parts of Southern Spain, Jewish Sephardic culture was living through the golden age, that which produced Maimonides and that would produce later, Baruch Spinoza much later. All of this rich life came to an end in 1492, when the Jews were expelled from Spain – and, soon after, Portugal as well – and the great Sephardic diaspora began.
Yet today, this beautiful Portugal country still offers a sumptuous itinerary of well-preserved Portuguese Jewish heritage sites that allow the modern traveler to revisit this once-thriving culture while enjoying Portugal’s culinary traditions enjoyed by Separadim.
Below is our must-see list of Portugal Jewish history sites to visit on your next heritage trip to deepen your understanding of some of the backstory that lends poignancy to Portugal’s more famous architectural and historical treasures.
West Portugal
Lisbon
Gil Travel recommends that the traveler start in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, where major Jewish communities thrived in the 15th century. People believe that Jewish life began in Lisbon not long before it fell to the Moors in the 8th Century.
Behold Stunning Views of Lisbon at Castelo São Jorge
We recommend Start your tour of this ancient Portuguese city by making your way to the top of Castelo São Jorge, where one will see a stunning view of Lisbon. It is especially beautiful right before the sun sets when it bathes the city in a golden glow.
Get a Glimpse of Jewish History and Culture at Teatro Nacional D. Maria II and Shaare Tikva
Other highlights include the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in Rossio Square, which was the site of the court of the Inquisition, and Lisbon’s main Synagogue, Shaare Tikva, which was built in the early 20th century as Jews of Portuguese descent returned to Portugal from Gibraltar and North Africa.
Scenic River Banks, Historical Sites, and Sweet Treats Await in Belém
Lastly, visitors cannot leave Lisbon without stopping by Belém without touring the, specifically Belém Tower. King John II commissioned this 15th-century fortification to be both part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus River and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The almost fantastical structure was built with local limestone featuring Moorish-inspired architecture, decorative carvings, and multiple watchtowers.
Belém is bursting with historical sites and museums, including Jerónimos Monastery, the Monument to the Discoveries, the Belem Cultural Center, the Berardo Collection Museum, the Maritime Museum, and the Praça do Império Garden. Spending a full day touring or simply strolling down the district’s picturesque riverbanks is easy!
End your day on a sweet note by noshing on the Portuguese pastry Pastéis de Belém, the original Pastel de nata, which is a sweet custard egg tart.
Sintra
The Sintra landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its artistic, botanical, and historic richness. One should also stop by the Jewish Quarter of Sintra, where the Jews lived and mixed at Court before the forced conversions of 1497.
South Portugal
Évora
Then we recommend one Proceed to Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage site still within its medieval walls. One of the largest Portuguese Jewish communities after Lisbon existed here up to the 15th century.
The building that once housed the synagogue and the surrounding Judiaria is in the historic quarter. During its peak, there were two synagogues, a Jewish school, a hospital, a court, a temple, a mikveh, places for reading and interpreting the Torah, a leprosarium, and even one of Portugal’s Jewish courts.
Once the second-largest Jewish community after Lisbon, Évora has now become a thriving smaller town with a marketplace full of delicious fresh produce to sample.
Jewish Quarter
While most evidence of Jewish life in Évora had been erased in the Inquisition, one can imagine what it was like by wandering through the Jewish Quarter, which still has buildings from that period and a commemorative plaque where the gates that led to where the Jewish Quarter once stood.
The Évora Museum
If you want to explore Jewish heritage in Portugal further before you leave, don’t forget to stop by the Evora Museum! Among the museum’s 20,000 historical artifacts, you will discover several objects tied to the country’s Jewish heritage, including stone with a Hebrew inscription dated from 1378 and objects used during the Inquisition trials.
East Portugal
Marvão
We highly recommend visitors take a walking tour of Marvão, an impressive fortress town that served as an entry point to the thousands of Jews who fled Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Marvão Toll Bridge
This picturesque bridge, surrounded by greenery and mountain views, was once a symbol of refuge and hope for Spanish Jews in the 15th century and a reminder of that turbulent period in Sephardic Jewish history. Commissioned by King John II to control and tax the Jews fleeing from Spain, this toll bridge saw about 15,000 Jews crossing the border into Marvão. A tombstone was later erected in the tower in memory of those who crossed the bridge over the Sever River.
Alpalhão – A One-of-a-Kind Jewish Quarter
If you stop by Alpalhão on your Jewish Heritage tour of Portugal, your local guide will point out a unique piece of proof of Jewish existence in this little village that you won’t find in many other places – mezuzahs on doorposts that are hung next to crosses in order to signify that the family who lived there had converted to Christianity.
Elvas – Unesco World Heritage Fortifications and Centuries of Jewish Heritage
Right by the Spanish border, Elvas is a quaint town with cobbled roads and white-washed streets, two forts, a castle that served as a fortress, many churches, and a Jewish quarter that housed the town’s once sizable Jewish community that made up around a quarter of the population at one point. Local Portuguese Jews had been living in Elvas since the Islamic era, with many more Jews later arriving to the border town from Spain to escape persecution during the Inquisition.
The Jewish community was so large that it is believed that there were two Jewish quarters, the Old (Praça da República) and the New (to the West of the Alcáçova area). The Elvas Jewish History House occupies a building that, in the 16th century, was transformed into a municipal butcher shop.
Castelo de Vide
Archeological Remains With Jewish Significance
At Castelo de Vide, One can explore the remains of a large Jewish community that existed here in the 14th century. The Archaeological Museum of Castelo de Vide holds the original 14th-century stone ark for the Torah. The museum will also show how Jewish and Christian cultures coexisted even after the Edict of Expulsion.
Synagogue of Castelo de Vide
This medieval synagogue, still in excellent condition, was built in the late 14th century and served the local Jewish community even after their expulsion in the 15th century! The building was repurposed in April 2019 as a Jewish museum dedicated to Castelo de Vide’s historic Jewish community.
The building consists of two floors, with a main prayer hall for men and a separate room for women on the upper floor. The door leading to the first floor bears the mark of a mezuzah having once been there.
One interesting anecdote about this Portuguese Jewish historical site is the fact that even after King Manuel I of Portugal ordered the forced conversion or expulsion of Jews in 1496, Marranos continued using the Castelo de Vide synagogue as a religious sanctuary and school up until the mid 16th century!
Central Portugal
Belmonte
Head to Belmonte, which has its unique crypto-Judaic tradition, to which the fairly new Belmonte Jewish Museum is an eloquent testament. The crypto-Judaism practiced by this community after the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal was so secretive – and their discipline so strict – that they were not rediscovered by other Jews until 1917. Encounters such as these mark one of the most poignant and beautiful living traditions among the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula and are not to be missed.
The Abraão Zacuto Museum
This museum served as a synagogue in the 15th century and offers guided tours. It is a significant reminder of one of the greatest Sephardic Jewish communities classified as a national monument. This ancient Synagogue turned The museum offers guided tours, which include houses Jewish gravestones, the cornerstones of the 13th Century Synagogue of Belmonte, a stone plate from the 14th Century Lisbon Synagogue, and various remains of Tomar´s medieval Jewish community. The Synagogue of Tomar is one of only two remaining preserved medieval synagogues in Portugal, making it a must-see for visitors!
We’d recommend ending your tour in Lisbon as well, with its many small but convivial Jewish quarters where the ancient Sephardic tradition continues, particularly after Portugal, having seemingly learned from its medieval cruelty, became a noted haven for Jews in the Second World War. Taking heart from the tenacity and beauty of this ancient country’s Jewish heritage is sure to make this more than just a tour through a beautiful and unique country.
Experience Portugal through Gil Travel Jewish heritage tours for a chance to discover your roots and walk in your ancestors’ shoes with the help of local guides who will navigate you through centuries of Portuguese and Sephardic history with their expert knowledge, fascinating anecdotes, and insider tips.
A Jewish family tour in Portugal with Gil Travel offers an all-inclusive experience that is personalized to all of your family’s preferences and needs, allowing everyone to fully immerse themselves in Portugal’s beautiful surroundings, rich culture, and the many well-preserved Jewish historical sites and museums! Get in touch with Gil Travel today to learn more about how you and your family can uncover Jewish heritage in Portugal.
