Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Bragança > Bragança > Bragança > Sé, Santa Maria e Meixedo
The Sephardic Culture Interpretation Centre of Northeast Trás-os-Montes is located in Bragança, within the urban area that includes the Cathedral (Sé), Santa Maria, and Meixedo. More precisely, it is situated on Rua Abílio Beça, a street notable for its cultural significance in the very heart of the historic city. This location allows visitors to experience the unique atmosphere of Bragança's centre while exploring the region's profound Sephardic heritage.
Throughout the centuries, Bragança was a place of significant Jewish presence, whose memory remains alive and rooted in the Trás-os-Montes territory. Since the reign of D. Dinis in the Middle Ages, the city welcomed Jewish communities that actively contributed to its economic and social development. With the expulsion of 1492 in Spain, Bragança became one of the reception points for refugees, integrating thousands of people who boosted activities such as silk production, tanning, and artisanal trade. Places like Rua dos Gatos are evoked as part of this history.
After the transition to the New Christian era, Bragança established itself as one of the pillars of Crypto-Judaism in Portugal, a peculiar reality that persisted for centuries. The persecution by the Inquisition left deep marks, with many New Christians from the region becoming targets of trials. In the 20th century, specifically in 1925, there was even a recreation of the Jewish community in the city, rooted in the secular presence of crypto-Jews. The centre was inaugurated in 2017 with the purpose of preserving and disseminating these experiences and their lasting influence.
Designed by architects Eduardo Souto Moura and Joaquim Portela, this museum nucleus spans two floors, offering an immersion into the theme of "Sephardic Jews of Northeast Trás-os-Montes: a journey through time and to the depths of social consciousness." The exhibition route is the result of in-depth research, with the support of the "Alberto Benveniste" Chair of Sephardic Studies at the University of Lisbon.
On the entrance floor, homage is paid to the historians, anthropologists, and geographers who dedicated their studies to the Sephardic people of the region, including names such as the Abbot of Baçal, Orlando Ribeiro, and José Leite de Vasconcelos. The upper floor explores the importance of this community in Portugal's economic development and the role of influential Bragança financial dynasties in the Modern Age. Also highlighted here are internationally renowned personalities originating from Bragança, such as Isaac Orobio de Castro, Jacob de Castro Sarmento, and Abraham Gabriel Pissarro, father of the famous painter Camille Pissarro.
The top floor is entirely dedicated to the Inquisition, providing a deeply immersive experience. Visitors find themselves in an environment that combines sound, with text readings and Sephardic music, with video and image projections, creating an atmosphere that invites reflection on this period of history. This section aims to convey, sensitively and rigorously, the impact of religious persecution on the lives of Sephardic communities.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.8060524,-6.7557957
Coordinates DMS: 41°48'21.8"N 06°45'20.9"W
Weather Bragança
On-duty Pharmacy Bragança
