Coimbra’s Jewish Heritage: Courage and Resilience in the Medieval Town

Coimbra was home to a substantial Jewish community between the 900s and 1500s. On this walking tour, you’ll discover its dramatic past in one of Portugal’s most historic cities. You’ll also hear lesser-known stories about its cultural resilience and survival.

The tour starts in Largo da Portagem, the grand square beside the Mondego River. You’ll follow the city’s main pedestrian street towards the old Jewish Quarter, past medieval stone walls and a labyrinth of steep streets where centuries of drama unfolded. You’ll stop outside the house of Aristides de Sousa Mendes where you’ll find out how, despite Aristides’ courage during dark historical moments, he suffered social, political and economic retaliation and ended his life alone and impoverished.

As you pass the location of the former synagogue and the haunting Inquisition Square, I’ll tell you about some of the tribulations that Jews in Coimbra experienced over the years, at first at the hands of the monarchy and clergy and, later, the Portuguese government. The tour ends close to where it started, at the Medieval House of Coimbra, and the country’s only surviving example of medieval residential architecture. Here, you’ll be able to savor traditional Portuguese cuisine at nearby restaurants, including variations of the iconic “Alheira” sausage.

Along the way, you’ll also have a chance to:

• Understand the complex social dynamics of medieval Portugal
• Visit the Church of Santa Cruz, home to the tombs of Portugal’s first kings, D. Afonso Henriques and D. Sancho I
• Stop at Pastelaria Briosa to sample its famed sweets, including the Pastel de Tentúgal, a pastry tied to the region’s Jewish history
• Hear the story of Commerce Square, where 208 “Acts of Faith” resulted in the execution of 404 people during the Inquisition
• Explore the culinary traditions of ”New Christians” who created a pork sausage lookalike filled with bread and chicken, so they could avoid detection during the Inquisition

By the end of this 90-minute tour, you’ll have explored far more than just buildings and material testimonies of the Jewish presence in Coimbra. You’ll also be left with an intimate appreciation of this community’s rich history and culture.