Synagogue

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Santarém > Tomar > Tomar > Colégio Nuno Álvares

Location

The Tomar Synagogue is located in the heart of the city's historic center, on a street once known as Judiaria (Jewish Quarter). Its discreet location, right on Rua Dr. Joaquim Jacinto, allows the building to blend harmoniously into the surrounding urban fabric, maintaining a façade that resembles neighboring constructions. This central position reflects the importance of the Jewish community in the life of medieval Tomar.

A Historical Legacy

This unique building, erected in the mid-15th century, stands as one of the rarest and most remarkable examples of a medieval Jewish temple fully preserved in Portugal. It was originally built with the specific purpose of serving as a place of worship for Tomar's prosperous Jewish community, bearing witness to their influence and resources at the time. Following the decree of expulsion of the Jews in 1496, the Synagogue closed its doors, being subsequently used for various purposes, from prison to granary, warehouse, and chapel, until it was classified as a National Monument in 1921. Its recovery and donation to the Portuguese State by Samuel Schwarz in the 20th century allowed it to be dedicated today to the preservation of Jewish memory and culture in Portugal.

Architecture and Symbolism

The architecture of the Tomar Synagogue, with its almost square plan, reveals remarkable simplicity and oriental influences. The interior is marked by ogival rib vaults, supported by four central columns. These columns have capitals adorned with geometric and vegetal motifs, and are believed to symbolize the four Matriarchs of Israel: Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel. Their capitals, two identical and two different, evoke the family relationship between them, distinguishing sisters from aunts and nieces. Additionally, twelve corbels protrude from the walls, representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel, giving the space a rich symbolic dimension. An architectural curiosity are the holes in the upper corners, where clay jars, turned downwards and embedded in the walls, were used to optimize the temple's acoustics.

Collection and Memory

Currently, the Synagogue space houses the Abraham Zacuto Luso-Hebraic Museum, named in honor of the astronomer, mathematician, and rabbi from Salamanca who took refuge in Portugal during the Age of Discovery. The museum gathers a collection of tomb slabs from various parts of the country, pieces that attest to the Jewish presence in different regions. Excavations carried out in the building's annex revealed findings such as coins from the reign of D. Afonso V and traces of a heating system for the Mikvah, the ritual purification bath, elements that enrich the understanding of the daily and religious life of Tomar's Jewish community.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt