The exhibition "THE JEWS OF COIMBRA | from tolerance to persecution | memories and materialities" is installed in the central wing of the Inquisition Building (Pátio da Inquisição, in Coimbra), in a space that belonged, until its extinction in 1821, to the former Court of the Holy Office of the Inquisition of Coimbra, which opens to the public for the first time and where old “scars” survive to remember this long and painful period.
The exhibition aims to rescue and rehabilitate the memory of the Jewish communities that inhabited the urban territory, contributing to a deeper understanding of a long history, whose contours are still unclear, and which includes particularities that differentiate it and make it notable.
The oldest documentary evidence of the Old Jewry of Coimbra (documents from 1130 and 1139) identifies an important community heritage – Synagogue, Ritual Purification Baths, Cemetery, Butchery, and Inn – which clearly reflects the antiquity and importance of the Coimbra community, one of the largest in Portugal in the 14th century.
The exhibition includes content associated with the growth of intolerance and anti-Judaism in Coimbra society, which resulted, after the publication of the Manueline Edict of Expulsion (December 5, 1496), in the prohibition of Judaism and the establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal, starting from 1536.
The program for the exhibition includes an important collection of objects, provided by the Jewish Community of Lisbon and the National Museum of Machado de Castro, also featuring a large-format reproduction of the survey of the Court of the Inquisition of Coimbra, conducted in 1634 by Matheus do Couto, made available by Torre do Tombo.
It is worth remembering that the oldest document attesting to the presence of Jews in Portuguese territory belongs to Coimbra – which had times when coexistence with Christians was relatively peaceful, but also times of intolerance that led this community to mere survival. The exhibition unfolds over 13 panels where texts, in a bilingual format (Portuguese/English), alternate with images. Visitors will also be offered a sensory experience.
THE JEWS OF COIMBRA | from tolerance to persecution | memories and materialities
July 2, 2021 to December 31, 2024
Tuesday to Saturday, from 1 PM to 6 PM
Central wing of the Inquisition Building (Pátio da Inquisição, in Coimbra)
Free Entry
Source: Coimbra City Council
