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The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca is one of the most atmospheric and historically significant buildings in Toledo. Built around 1180, it is often described as the oldest synagogue building still standing in Europe. Its interior is unforgettable and quite unlike the richly decorated Tránsito synagogue: a serene, luminous white space divided into five aisles by rows of elegant horseshoe arches resting on simple octagonal pillars, their capitals carved with delicate pine-cone and scroll designs. The effect is calm, almost ghostly, like a petrified white forest. The building perfectly embodies Toledo's convivencia, for it was built in the Islamic Almohad architectural style, by Muslim craftsmen, for the Jewish community, under the rule of a Christian king. Converted into a church after anti-Jewish riots in the early fifteenth century, hence its Christian name, it survives today as a monument to the city's unique shared heritage.
Wissenswertes
- 1180 year — Built around 1180, it is often called the oldest synagogue in Europe
- 5 aisles — Rows of white horseshoe arches divide the interior into five aisles
- 3 cultures — Built in Islamic style by Muslim craftsmen for Jews under a Christian king
📍 Travesía de Santa María la Blanca, 45002, Toledo