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In the lower part of the walled town in Caceres , spreading upwards to meet the sheltering walls of the noble houses of Las Cigüeñas and Las Veletas, the aljama, or Jewry, of Caceres was home to some 130 families in the 13th century. They lived in modest dwellings that stood on narrow, sloping alleys. It was a popular neighbourhood, still filled with bright flowers and light even today, and it stands on either side of the Calle Barrio de San Antionio.
The Arco de Cristo, the only Roman arch still standing, which led from the aljama to the outside of the town, or the Olivar de la Judería, or Jewry Olive Grove next to the walls, still have a strong feel of the past to them. The hermitage of San Antonio today stands on the site of the synagogue of the Old Jewry, which was demolished by the Lord of Torres Arias, Alfonso Golfín. He had bought it in 1470, thanks to the Decree on the removal of Jews. Up until then, local Hebrews had had the right to prove their innocence by swearing on the Torah, here in the synagogue. According to this privilege, “Should they have no Torah, they shall use the Book of the Ten Commandments”. As for the magnificent private baths that can be seen on the tour of Yusuf al-Burch’s House and Museum, on the Cuesta del Marqués, nobody has yet been able to decide whether they were Arab baths or a traditional mikve, where Jewish ritual baths took place.
A MEDIEVAL FLAVOUR
In the 15th century, the Jewish Quarter of Caceres was one of the five highest tax contributors in the Kingdom of Castile. In the last quarter of the century, under the auspices of Isabel the Catholic, the New Judería, or Jewish Quarter, began to be built outside the city walls, around the Plaza Mayor. The Calle de la Cruz, which, along with today’s Calle de la Panera, was the heart of this new settlement, was known as the Calle de la Judería up until the 16th century. The elaborate Palace of La Isla stands on the site of the synagogue of the new Judería, and it still contains details that are reminders of the spirit of the Jews of Caceres.
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