Coimbra · Portugal · Self-guided audio tour
Jews of Coimbra
From Tolerance to Persecution. An audio guide to Jewish life in Coimbra, from the medieval Jewish quarters to the Inquisition, from crypto-Judaism to the Sephardic diaspora.
- Stops
- 12
- App languages
- 30+
- Offline
- Yes
- Updated
- October 2026
Stop 1 of 12 · free to read
Inquisition Courtyard
You’re in the Courtyard of the Inquisition. Look around: these elegant arcades, these ionic capitals, this wide open space. It was designed to be a place of light. The Royal College of Arts began to be planned in 1535, meant to be the heart of Portuguese humanism. Imagine it: students debating philosophy, rhetoric, classical theater. It didn’t last long.
When the building was handed over to the Tribunal of the Holy Office, which set itself up here from 1566 onward, and also demanded the colleges of São Miguel and Todos-os-Santos from the Jesuits, this beautiful place turned into something else. The refectory, that enormous hall almost 40 meters long and built for 1,200 students, became, in part, the torture chamber. The rooms for public acts and debates became cells. The inner courtyard, with its Renaissance colonnade, filled up with cramped prison blocks. Matheus do Couto’s drawings from 1634 show it with bureaucratic coldness: where there had once been room to study, there was now the “courtyard of the prisons.”
The Inquisition operated here from 1566 to 1821. Two hundred and fifty-five years. It prosecuted more than 11,000 people. The vast majority were New Christians, former Jews forced to convert, accused of practicing their faith in secret. Around 200 people died at the stake after being condemned in autos-da-fé. Many more were tortured, imprisoned, and stripped of everything they owned.
Keep reading
When the tribunal was finally abolished in 1821, one of the deputies who proposed its extinction, Francisco Simões Margiocchi, wanted the buildings demolished. They weren’t. And maybe that’s for the best. Because this place, with its visible scars, tells a story that shouldn’t be forgotten. And that’s the story we’re going to walk through together.
This guide is about the Jews of Coimbra. About centuries of presence, contribution, and living side by side. And about what happens when tolerance ends.
The route
12 stops, one story
From Tolerance to Persecution. An audio guide to Jewish life in Coimbra, from the medieval Jewish quarters to the Inquisition, from crypto-Judaism to the Sephardic diaspora.
- 1
Inquisition Courtyard
The Inquisition Courtyard, first imagined as the Royal College of Arts and a center for humanism, was later turned into the headquarters of the Holy Office tribunal in Coimbra.
Read it above ↑ - 2
The King's Jews
Jewish presence in Portugal goes back a very long time, even before the country itself was formed, with evidence of communities dating to at least the 10th century.
- 3
The Old Jewish Quarter
Coimbra's Old Jewish Quarter, one of the largest in Portugal in the 14th century, lay outside the city walls and was home to a diverse, self-sufficient community, from a wealthy elite to artisans and farmers.
- 4
The Outrage of Corpus Christi
In Coimbra, the Corpus Christi Chapel was built near land that once held Jewish homes, and also close to the old synagogue.
- 5
The Mikveh
An exceptionally well preserved medieval Jewish ritual bath (mikveh) was discovered by chance in a basement in Coimbra.
- 6
Autos-da-fé
In Coimbra, public squares that could draw big crowds became the stage for the Inquisition’s autos-da-fé.
- 7
The New Jewish Quarter
In the 1370s, Coimbra’s Jewish community was forced to move to the New Jewish Quarter, a low-lying area prone to flooding, a clear sign of their declining social and economic influence.
- 8
The Edict of Expulsion
In 1496, King Manuel I of Portugal ordered the expulsion of all Jews to secure a marriage alliance with Spain.
- 9
The Sephardic Diaspora
Forced to flee the Inquisition, Portuguese Jews scattered across the world, where they founded influential communities and left a remarkable legacy in fields like science and philosophy.
- 10
The Jews' Fountain
The Jews' Fountain is an old piece of infrastructure that once ensured the Jewish Quarter had a steady water supply. Over the centuries, it was moved and renamed more than once.
- 11
The Brotherhood of São Diogo
In early 17th century Coimbra, the Brotherhood of São Diogo was a secret circle of prominent New Christians, led by the university professor António Homem, who practiced Judaism in hiding.
- 12
The Coimbra Tribunal
The Tribunal of the Holy Office in Coimbra, established here in 1566, ran a terrifying system built on anonymous accusations, often leading to immediate arrest and torture meant to force confessions.
Hear all 12 stops in the app
The app plays every stop, shows where you are on the map and answers your questions on the way. Free to start your first tour.
FAQ
Questions about this guide
Where does the Jews of Coimbra audio guide start?
At Inquisition Courtyard, in Coimbra. From there the app takes you from stop to stop with GPS.
How many stops are there?
12 stops: Inquisition Courtyard, The King's Jews, The Old Jewish Quarter and 9 more. The first one is free to read on this page.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Download the guide and its audio over Wi-Fi, then use it outdoors with GPS without spending mobile data.
Is it free?
The GuideSofia app is free to download, and it's free to start your first tour.
Which language is it in?
This page is in en-US. In the app, the guide is narrated in 30+ languages.
Can I ask the guide questions?
Yes. Open the chat in the app and ask about what you are looking at, local history, food or nearby places.
Take Jews of Coimbra in your pocket
Download GuideSofia, open this guide and start walking. It's free to start your first tour.