Portugal jewish Heritage tours

As the tour starts too early, about 08.30am, everything will be closed till 10.00am, a good introduction to the city of Lisbon and the first settlers including too the arrival of the first Jews in the Iberian Peninsula, will be welcome from the top of Edward VII Park viewing the oldest part of the city and the river. Marquês de Pombal Square, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo the Marquis of Pombal as the name shows, himself from Jewish origin. It was under his government as Prime Minister of the King Joseph I, from 1750-1777, and by decree, that the distinction between New Christians and Old Christians finished. Following to Ohel Jacob Synagogue, formerly the Ashkenaze Synagogue but now the Crypto Jewish Community Synagogue at Av. Elias Garcia.

Folllowing to Alexandre Herculano Street, the place of the actual Synagogue in Lisbon Shaare Tiekwa, maybe a visit will be allowed if the restoring works for the centenary celebrations have been finished already. Built by donations of the Lisbon Jewish colony in 1904, whose architect was Ventura Terra. The façade shows a mixture of several motives from different styles, with ten high fists with stained glass windows. At the interior paintings from Veloso Salgado can be seen as well as a magnificent silver lamp by Christofanetti. Av. da Liberdade, the main avenue in Lisbon that links Marquês de Pombal Square to the old part of the city.

Restauradores Square and Rossio, one of the main spots of the Holy Office headquarters in Lisbon (Estaus Palace where nowadays we have the Theatre Mary II), and the place where the condemned by the Inquisition were burned. Praça da Figueira and Martim Moniz, two old squares completely restored and looking different nowadays were once entrances of Lisbon, under this squares vestiges of an old Jewish Cemetery were found (we can also pay compliment to the actual Jewish Cemetery in Lisbon in case the group is interested). Then following to St. George’s Castle on top of the oldest settled hill, maybe a visit to the Castle depending on the group wishes. The castle was the residence of the Portuguese Kings till the 16^th century and from up here there’s a magnificent city view, as well as over Tagus river, 25^th April Bridge and Christ King Monument.

Alfama, one of Lisbon’s oldest quarters into Rua da Judiaria in the Old Jewish Quarter, with its narrow cobbled streets that has to be done on foot, it will be done according to the group. From Alfama to Praça do Comércio along the old part of the harbour passing by Igreja da Conceição Velha with a beautiful 15^th century Manueline façade but where existed once one of the oldest Synagogues in Lisbon. Praça do Comércio a short stop to admire the square and to have another sight of the Alfama hill, not forgetting that this was also a place used by the Inquisition for their public activities.

If time permits, from Praça do Comércio we can also follow to Praça do Município that was once a Jewish area and onwards to Chiado area and to Bairro Alto, the 16^th century quarter and the second oldest hill to be settled, considered the first planned area of Lisbon built by a very wealthy and well known Jew of the time named Guedelha Palaçano.

Lunch Break

Afternoon – Belém Area

Belém area was during the 16^th century a long beach and one of the spots from where the Portuguese navigators set out for their discovery voyages all over the World. A panoramic visit to this area will be appropriate due to the time left and the returning hour to the ship. So, entering this area, several interesting places will be pointed out as the Coach Museum, then the 18^th century Palace transformed nowadays into the Official Residence of the President of the Republic, The Square of the Empire where the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the Navy Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Planetarium and the Cultural Centre of Belém stand.

Nevertheless, in spite of the time, a visit to Mosteiro dos Jerónimos from the 16^th century and a World Heritage that houses the tombs of Vasco da Gama (the well known navigator that first routed to India) and Luís de Camões (the 16^th century Portuguese epic writer) is worthwhile even for some brief minutes, it’s one of the finest Portuguese monuments. Then, in this same area but closer to the riverside the group will have the opportunity to see the Torre de Belém, another magnificent monument from the 16^th century and World Heritage too that watches the entrance of the estuary and the Lisbon harbour.

Last but not the least, the Discoveries Monument, maybe a short stop to watch it closer from both sides and identify the New Christians who contributed with their knowledge for this great enterprise of the Portuguese discoveries that turned the Portuguese 16^th century into one of Portugal’s Golden Period. Back to the ship in Cais da Rocha do Conde de Óbidos along the riverside and the Lisbon Harbour or hotel.

In the afternoon we start with a visit to the “Centro Israelita” and we then follow to the Shaare Tikva Synagogue (under restoration until September 2004). Our tour proceeds to the Ohel Jacob Synagogue “home of the Lisbon’s Crypto Jewish Community”. We pass thru Rossio, the original headquarters of the Inquisition, onto the magnificient Saint George Castle, residence of the first Kings of Portugal to admire the magnificent city view from where one can see the the Tagus River and the seven hills of Lisbon. We then descend on foot down through Alfama, Lisbon's oldest area, to the "Rua da Judiaria" in the old Jewish Quarter with its narrow cobbled streets.
Return to the Hotel. Free evening

Our morning starts with a panoramic of Praça do Comércio (where the ‘Autos-de Fé’ took place), followed by the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, World Heritage site which houses the tomb of Vasco da Gama. Our next stop is the Monument to the Discoveries which owes much to the Portuguese Jews and "New-Christians". The amazing Torre de Belém, guarding the mouth of the Tejo river, from where the navigators set out on voyages of discovery of the trade routes and Padrão dos Descobrimentos, complete our visit to the Belém area.

Lisbon’s coast will delight us for the rest of the day; Estoril & Cascais are our first stops. Here there is a special focus in the “Espaço Exilio” where we can learn more about the history of Estoril & Cascais and the Jewish Families that were exiled here during the World War II.

The Cabo da Roca, the most western point of continental Europe is always a point of interest in every tour to Lisbon’s Coast, so this will be our next point of visit. We follow now to Sintra a World Heritage site known as "Lord Byron's Glorious Eden". Sintra was used as a retreat by the Romans, the Moors and the Portuguese Kings due to its position, its beauty, wooden ravines and fresh water springs. The quarter of the Jews who lived and mixed at Court before the forced conversions of 1497, are still visible today. Return to the Hotel Fenix in Lisbon.

Day 3 (Wednesday): Évora
We depart towards Évora, a museum-city, whose roots go back to Roman times. The UNESCO recognized its value, and declared Évora as World Heritage in the 80’s. Évora was one of the main Inquisition Centers of Portugal. This city had one of the largest Jewish communities in Portugal during the XV Century. Several houses still bear signs of ‘mezuzot’. We will see the Court of the Inquisition and the Inquisitor’s Palace, which displays the coat of arms of the "Holy" Office, and visit the macabre Ossuary Chapel, where the walls are covered with thousands of human bones and skulls.
Free afternoon.
Accommodation at Albergaria do Calvário**** or similar.

Day 4 (Thursday): Évora/Castelo de Vide
Our tour proceeds towards Vila Viçosa, which impresses for the remarkable use of marble from local quarry in most of public places, and of course the Palace of Vila Viçosa, the town’s “trademark”. We then follow to Estremoz, a town shaped by incredible and dramatic moments of Portuguese national history. Kings and Queens lived, fought and died here. Marvão a charismatic walled village is our next stop. This lost village is perched on a high rocky peak from where one can almost touch the sky.

We arrive to Castelo de Vide in the Afternoon. We step back in time and visit its authentic medieval Jewish quarter. Here we find the XV Century Synagogue and adjacent School recently restored, the Rabbi's home, the village fountain as well as the oven used for baking along the maze of narrow cobbled alleys with small white houses nestled beneath the Castle.

We depart to Monsanto, a tinny little village that is still considered the most Portuguese Village of Portugal (during the Dictatorial regime of Salazar Monsanto won the contest of the most Portuguese Village). After a short visit we then follow to Covilhã to meet Rabino E. Salas at the new Kosher Winery and to visit to the Museu dos Lanifícios, an XVIII Century woollen-textile factory, accidentally discovered during enlargement of the adjacent University. The textile industry was one of the professions dominated by the Jews of the region. At Universidade da Beira a Center of Jewish Studies program has recently been introduced to research and document the Jewish history of this area.

Kabalat Shabbat at Bet Eliahu Synagogue led by Rabbi Salas, together with the community of Belmonte with Shabbat Dinner after the service. Here we have the opportunity of interacting with members of this unique people.
Accommodation at Manor House - Casa Tomás Lourenço

Day 6 (Saturday): Belmonte
Free day to attend service with the Belmonte community as well as learning about their customs and practices kept for almost 500 years.

Belmonte has retained its medieval atmosphere with a 13th century castle, a Romanesque-Gothic church and the Cabral family Pantheon. The Jewish Quarter was situated outside the castle walls at the easternmost end of the town. Houses with crosses engraved in the stone close to the doors were inhabited by "New Christians", Jews who had been unable to leave Portugal and were forcibly baptized. These “crypto-Jews” publicly followed Catholic rituals but in the privacy of their own homes maintained their religion and culture for 500 years.

Day 7 (Sunday): Belmonte/Guarda/Cabanas de Viriato/Porto

Breakfast at Hotel. Departure to Porto passing by Guarda to visit the Jewish quarter. Guarda, a 12th century town was once home to a thriving Jewish community, and set the scene for the love story between a king and a Jewish shoemaker’s daughter, whose descendant would take the throne as João IV.

We drive to Cabanas de Viriato and visit the remains of the House of Aristides da Sousa Mendes. Aristides da Sousa Mendes was consul in Bordeaux (France) during the World War II and he helped more than 30.000 Jewish to escape from the Nazis. Sousa Mendes was honourable distinguished by the Yad Vashem with a medal with the inscription of the Talmud.

The tour proceeds to Porto, Capital of northern Portugal which stands proudly above the river Douro. Porto was one of the major centres for Jewish traders during the middle ages. Today we visit the Centro Judaico Hanamel. Accommodation at The Fenix ****

Day 8 (Monday) Porto
In the morning, we visit the Kahal Kodosh Mekor Haim Synagogue (Fountain of Life), the first built in Portugal for native Portuguese Jews over 400 years ago. We then wander around the "Rua Monte Judeus” and “Escadas da Esnoga”, which means “stairway to the Synagogue”.

We now visit some of the charms of the city: The picturesque riverside area; the “Palácio da Bolsa” (the Stock Exchange), the “Velha Ribeira”, the historical centre of Porto (recently recognized as world heritage). We finish with a visit to a Port wine cellar, the commodity that makes Porto famous throughout the world.

We drive from Porto until Coimbra, here our visit focus the library of the university, the Muslim & Jewish Quarters. The Story of Coimbra is intimately linked with the Jesuits & the Inquisition giving us some unique memories to learn about.

Already in Conimbriga, we visit the Roman ruins with the evidence of Roman habitation from the 2nd century BCE. Outlines of shops, baths and exquisite mosaic floors provide a glimpse of a prosperous city. We finally arrive to Tomar.

Day 10 (Wednesday): Tomar/ Alcobaça/ Óbidos/ Lisboa
Founded by the Knights Templar, Tomar is one of the oldest and most charming towns of Portugal The morning starts with the visit to the XV Century Synagogue, now the Museu Luso-Hebraico Abraão Zacuto, located on Rua da Judiaria (Street of the Jews, the only remnant of what was one of the greatest Jewish communities of Europe), one of the two surviving monuments of medieval Jewry in Portugal, and now classified as a national monument, the small, cell-like structure, with Gothic vaults upheld by four central columns, houses Jewish gravestones and the cornerstones of the XIII Century Synagogue of Belmonte and of the XIV Century Lisbon Synagogue as well as other historic remains of Tomar’s medieval Jewish community.

Lunch break in Tomar and then off to the walled town of Óbidos where one steps back to medieval times, via Batalha & Alcobaca where we visit two of the most impressive World Heritage Patrimony in Portugal. In the atmosphere of the XVI Century we find numerous craft shops as we wander through the narrow cobbled streets to the Jewish quarter in the centre, with traces of an old Synagogue still visible.
Farewell at the Clube de Fado.