Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Santarém > Tomar > Tomar > Colégio Nuno Álvares
The Abraão Zacuto Hebrew Museum is located in Tomar, within the city's oldest urban fabric. It is situated on a characteristic street in the historic center, in an environment that reflects the antiquity of the locality, near the area that once housed the Nuno Álvares College.
This building dates back to the mid-15th century, having been constructed to serve as a synagogue. Its original function lasted only a few decades, as the decree of King Manuel I in 1496 profoundly altered the life of the Jewish community in Portugal. Over the centuries, the space had various uses, transforming into a prison, a chapel, and even a warehouse. This multi-functionality reflects the social and religious changes that occurred in the region.
The building's structure is notable for its simplicity and the preservation of original elements. With a quadrangular plan, the interior space is supported by four central columns that sustain a vault. An interesting architectural peculiarity is the presence of ceramic jars embedded in the upper walls, a technique used to improve the acoustics of the place when it functioned as a synagogue.
Inside, the museum operates, its name honoring Abraão Zacuto, a Jewish mathematician and astrologer with ties to Portugal and the Age of Discoveries. The collection includes several tombstones and engraved stones with Hebrew inscriptions, found in various synagogues across Portugal and dating back centuries. Particularly noteworthy is a block of pink limestone from the old great synagogue of Lisbon, dated from the early 14th century. These objects constitute an important material testament to the historical Jewish presence in the country.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 39.6032959,-8.4135607
Coordinates DMS: 39°36'11.9"N 08°24'48.8"W
Weather Tomar
On-duty Pharmacy Tomar
