Court of the Inquisition (Pátio da Inquisição), Coimbra

If you go around the left corner of the Town Hall, on the other side of the street you will see the narrow street Rua Pedro Rocha, walking along it literally 30 meters, you will find yourself in a small square, which is associated with very dark pages of history. The square got its name because of the complex of buildings located here, where the court of the Portuguese Inquisition (Tribunal do Santo Ofício) has been sitting since the 16th century. Along with Lisbon and Evora, Coimbra was one of the three main centers of the Inquisition in Portugal. People accused of heresy, apostasy, or secret practice of Judaism were detained, interrogated, and tortured here. The verdicts were also publicly announced in the courtyard. And although this place can be considered a symbol of an entire epoch, the city authorities nevertheless decided to give it a completely different meaning. In 2003, the reconstruction of the college building began, in which the Center for Visual Arts (CAV) was opened. However, architect João Mendes Ribeiro preserved part of the prison by cutting through an arched gallery in the building, along which you will see single cells for prisoners (Carrceres). In the lower tiers under the arches was the "House of Torment" (Casa do Tormento), where inquisitors conducted interrogations and tortures. The Jewish diaspora was subjected to the most severe persecution. Even after the Jews were forcibly converted to Christianity, they were constantly under suspicion. And, I must say, this was justified: many converts continued to perform Jewish rituals and held secret meetings where they read the Torah. In 2021, the exhibition "Jews of Coimbra: from Tolerance to Persecution" was opened in the House of Inquisition (Edifício da Inquisição). Memories and material evidence (Judeus de Coimbra | da tolerância à perseguição | memórias e materialidades)". The entrance is located directly in the archway, opening hours are from 13:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, admission is free. Before visiting the museum, it is recommended to install the Judeus de Coimbra multimedia travel guide on your smartphone.

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