THE JEWISH QUARTER
The Jews were in Toledo from the fourth century A.D., living alongside the Visigoths and, later, with Muslims and Christians. The Jewish community had periods of prosperity, especially during the reign of Alfonso X the Wise in the thirteenth century. However, in the 15th century restrictions against Jews were tightened, and in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs decreed their expulsion, marking the end of the Jewish presence in the city.
of Toledo The Jewish quarter of Toledo occupied a large area to the southwest of the city, with neighborhoods such as the Degolladero and the Alacava. It had synagogues, schools and a market, as well as a castle. There are still vestiges of its presence, such as the Casa del Judío, the Tránsito Synagogue (today the Sephardic Museum) and the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca. The tiles with Hebrew symbols in the streets are reminiscent of Jewish history in the city.
Legend has it that a young woman arrived in Toledo with a key that had been kept by her family, descendants of Jews who were expelled in the fifteenth century. The key symbolized his lost home. More than five hundred years later, the young woman placed the key in its original place, symbolizing the return of the Sephardim to the city and the recovery of what was lost.