Category: Religious Architecture > Synagogue
District: Portalegre > Castelo de Vide > Castelo de Vide
The Synagogue of Castelo de Vide is located in the area corresponding to the town's old Jewish quarter. This historic neighbourhood developed on the east-facing slope, extending from near the castle down to the lower area. The streets are narrow and winding, with the medieval layout well preserved. The synagogue is situated at a particular point within this urban fabric, where the original characteristics of the neighbourhood are still visible.
Being in this area allows visitors to feel the atmosphere of the old Jewish quarter, a place with a very unique identity within the historical town of Castelo de Vide. Its position on the slope gives it an interesting relationship with the local topography.
Built in the 14th century, the Synagogue of Castelo de Vide is one of the oldest and most significant Jewish religious buildings in Portugal. It served as a centre of worship and study for the vibrant Jewish community that resided in the town during the medieval period. Historical documents attest to the presence of this community and the importance of its Jewish quarter during the 14th and 15th centuries.
Following the edict of expulsion of the Jews in 1496, the building continued to be used, secretly, by the so-called New Christians (forcibly converted Jews) as a space for gathering and religious practice until the mid-16th century. Subsequently, over the centuries, the property underwent various adaptations, eventually being transformed into a private dwelling in the 18th century.
Its historical value was recovered through restoration works, which allowed for important rediscoveries within its interior, notably that of the tabernacle in 1972. Currently, the synagogue functions as a museum space that narrates the history of the Jewish community of Castelo de Vide, being one of the rare examples of medieval synagogues that survive in Portugal.
The synagogue building, small in size and with two floors, retains original elements from its 14th-century construction, although it has undergone alterations over time. It is oriented from east to west, a common orientation in synagogues.
Notable on the exterior are the stone ogival arches that frame the entrances. On one of the doorposts of a ground-floor door, it is possible to see the mark left by the mezuzah, a small compartment where a parchment with verses from the Torah was placed, a sign of faith at the entrance of a Jewish home or sacred place.
Inside, the central element is the tabernacle or Aron Kodesh. This stone niche, dating from the 15th century and rediscovered in 1972, was the place where the sacred Torah scrolls were kept. Next to the tabernacle, there is a small pedestal featuring seven spheres, a symbolic detail representing the six days of the world's creation and the seventh day, the Shabbat, a day of rest.
Studies and excavations on the lower floor revealed the existence of silos excavated into the bedrock, showing different phases of occupation and use of the space over the centuries, including periods when the building still served the Jewish and New Christian community.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 39.417498,-7.456754
Coordinates DMS: 39°25'3.0"N 07°27'24.3"W