If you did not already know that this was a synagogue, what would you guess was its function?
When you look at this image, what emotions do you feel? Try to imagine what a building like this might have meant to a medieval Jew. What might the building have meant to their Christian or Muslim neighbors?
Why is this synagogue known as “Santa María la Blanca”?
Synagogues in medieval Spain reflected Islamic-inspired design and royal patronage, revealing how architecture expressed identity, status, and vulnerability.