Del Transito Synagogue Sephardic Museum, Castilia La Mancha

Del Transito Synagogue Sephardic Museum - details and images

Del Transito Synagogue is located in the former Hebrew neighborhood in the city of Toledo (Spain) in the western city. This is the popular name, real name is Samuel ha Levi Synagogue. Since 1964, installed in her Sephardic Museum, which aims to preserve cultural heritage as an integral part of Spanish-Hebrew cultural heritage of Spanish history.

It was built by Samuel ha between 1356 and 1357 Levi at a time when it was forbidden to build these kinds of temples. Pedro I of Castile was agree to help and loyalty that proved Hebrew neighborhood in Toledo when the city was occupied by his illegitimate brother to the throne, the House Trastamara. In 1492 with the expulsion of Jews from Spain, the synagogue is not a Hebrew religious center but is owned by the Knights of Calatrava and turns into hospital. Prayer hall in the temple becomes Christian and takes the name of the Church of San Benito. Since sec. XVI remains the church, and during the battles Napoleon was military property, then in 1877 be declared National Monument. In 1964 is converted Sephardic Museum.

It has a basic rectangular hipped roof and brick walls with arches at the top oval. Inside the building has a large prayer room. It is covered with pine wood, which is an excellent example of medieval Spanish carpentry and manufacturing technique with polychrome. Along the walls you can see works in plaster with inscriptions in Arabic and Hebrew, geometric and vegetal motifs, heraldic.

Maximum splendor in the east wall touches, where he found "holy" or hekal, place to keep the Torah.

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