Belmonte is a municipality in the district of Castelo Branco, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,859, in an area of 118.76 km². Belmonte is …Belmonte is a municipality in the district of Castelo Branco, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,859, in an area of 118.76 km². Belmonte is distinguished by its enduring Jewish community, tracing back to at least the 13th century, which maintained its faith through crypto-Judaism and numbered about 300 in 2008. Despite facing the Inquisition and forced conversions, this community preserved Jewish traditions in secret, culminating in the re-establishment of open practice and the founding of a synagogue in 1996. The history is chronicled in the Belmonte Jewish Museum, which opened in 2005.
Save
Share
More