La Sinagoga de Los Golondrinos en Toledo

Abstract

During the excavation of house no. 31 on Calle de las Bulas in Toledo, a highly interesting documented building was uncovered. It extends over the cadastral plan of the plot and measures 12 metres on each side. Elements that have remained in their original state have been observed, including the decoration of the Ark of the Covenant, the trace of the ­Bimah, spaces differentiated on the floor by their paving, the six octagonal pillars, three doors arranged on each side of the plan and two symmetrical doors leading down to separate ritual baths, one of which is still visible. This synagogue complex is located in the centre of Toledo’s oldest Jewish quarter, the Alacava, and its relationship with the adjacent plots is illustrated by its three doorways. Its disappearance seems to be linked to the destruction of the quarter in 1355, making it an important building.