The former synagogue area of Évora is associated with the streets around Travessa do Barão, Rua da Moeda and Rua dos Mercadores, inside the medieval Judiaria of the city.

Synagogue References in Évora

The documentation records references to the Sinagoga Velha and the Sinagoga Grande in the second half of the fifteenth century. In 1458, houses in the Judiaria are described as adjoining the yard of the Sinagoga Velha. In 1477 and 1478, other houses are recorded near or adjoining the Sinagoga Grande.

These references show the central role of the synagogue area within the Jewish quarter. Even so, the exact interpretation remains cautious. The documents may indicate two separate synagogues, or an older synagogue that was enlarged and later referred to as the Sinagoga Grande.

Communal Institutions

The former synagogue area of Évora was also connected to other spaces of Jewish communal life. These included the Midras, or Jewish school, and possibly the hospital of the Jewish commune. Together, these references place the synagogue within one of the main institutional zones of the Judiaria.

After the forced conversion of Portuguese Jews in 1497, the synagogue ceased to function as a Jewish communal institution. Later urban transformations changed the area, but the memory of the synagogue remained connected to Travessa do Barão and to the surrounding streets of the former Judiaria.

Architectural Traces

Architectural traces still survive in this part of Évora. Some buildings preserve pointed Gothic doorways and small recesses in the door jambs traditionally associated with mezuzot. These features are especially noted around Rua da Moeda, Rua dos Mercadores and Travessa do Barão.