Lisbon’s Jewish Sites And History Half Day Tour

Not strictly limited to the Jewish perspective, we will give you an educated, fun, professional, multi-approach, eye-opening, tour of downtown Lisbon (or Old Lisbon). You will learn A LOT about Lisbon, Portugal, and the Portuguese. Our approach mixes History and Culture with current affairs, current social and lifestyle issues, gastronomy, and so on. We will also give you many recommendations and suggestions for the rest of your stay in Lisbon and Portugal in general. Have a look at our itinerary to have a more precise idea of what you will be seeing on this tour. Prices are per group!

Guided visit to the Synagogue of lisbon

This memorial is a tribute to the victims of intolerance and religious fanaticism. Inaugurated in the framework of the 500 years since the massacre of 19 April 1506, this memorial is in the location where the massacre started, in the square opposite the St. Dominic Church, in Lisbon. On the evening of 19 April, Dominican friars instigated the population to kill the new Christians. Between 2,000 and 4,000 people have died in a barbaric form, incinerated in piles in various parts of the city. The memorial is a work of 2008 by Graça Bachmann, on a proposal from the Jewish Community. It is made of stone, a sphere, a symbol of the world, truncated that evokes violence and chaos. On the Star of David, an inscription alludes to the massacre. At the base, a rectangular block of stone where the sculpture lies, one can read a phrase from the Book of Job: “O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place”. Next to this memorial, right in front of the church door, is another monument where, in 2000, the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, José Policarpo, assumed the shame of inquisitorial persecution.

The oldest “Judiaria” (Jewish quarter) was located at the Pedreira neighbourhood (near today’s Armazéns do Chiado), where a Synagogue was built in 1260. The Taracenas “Judiaria” was located on the eastern port area. The “Judiaria Velha” (large Jewish quarter) was located right at the town center, in Rua Nova dos Mercadores, and it had 7 gates. It constituted a separate body in terms of the administration of the city, with its own officials, two synagogues, a school, a library, a kosher butcher, a hospital, public baths, a court, and a prison. The only remnant is the engraved stone plaque of the construction of the synagogue, dating from 1307. Of the “Judiaria” of Alfama, authorized by King D. Pedro I, the only remain is the toponym at Rua da Judiaria.

The Baixa district is the heart of Lisbon and comprises of magnificent plazas, wide avenues and grand Pombaline architecture. The district is popular with tourists, as contained within Baixa are many of Lisbon’s major tourist attractions, along with a huge variety of restaurants and outstanding hotels. Baixa has not always been so magnificent, on the 11th November 1755, one of the world’s strongest recorded earthquakes devastated the district and, along with the massive tsunami, killed thousands. The rebuilding of the ruined district was assigned to the Marquis of Pombal, who disregarded the original city layout of narrow streets, and created the first city plan that followed a grid pattern. The buildings of Baixa were constructed in a magnificent neoclassical style (referred to Pombaline architecture) but more importantly, incorporated the earliest examples of earthquake resistant architecture. Rossio was a site where many Jews suffered at the hands of the Inquisition. Nowadays it is the liveliest square in the city, where people stop to sit and relax, or for a drink at the several atmospheric cafés with outdoor sitting (the most popular is the art-deco “Cafe Nicola” on the western side). On either side of the square are two baroque fountains, and in the center is a monument measuring 27 meters in height. It consists of a pedestal with marble allegories of Justice, Wisdom, Strength, and Moderation, qualities attributed to Dom Pedro IV, whose statue stands on top of the monument. In the 19th century, the square was paved with cobblestones in wave patterns, a design seen today in many other pavements all over Portugal, and that has spread to Portugal’s former colonies from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Macao (China). On the north side of the square is the Dona Maria II National Theater, a monumental neoclassical building built in the 1840s. The portico has six Ionic columns (originally from the Church of St. Francis, destroyed in the 1755 earthquake), and crowning the pediment is a statue of playwright Gil Vicente.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

• Lisbon’s Jewish Sites And History Half Day Tour
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• This Tour is Provided by Luis Santos – Lisbon Private Guide.
• Tour Timezone & Starts at Europe/Lisbon.
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
• Maximum 4 Travelers is accepted for booking.