Museums and Palaces

House of the Inquisition - Interactive Centre of Jewish History

The House of the Inquisition Interactive Centre reveals the Jewish memory in the medieval town of Monsaraz. Despite the designation that persists by local tradition, an Inquisition Court will not have been located in the building, because the small town of Monsaraz never had such a structure; instead, it will have functioned as an inn of a relative of the Holy Office or, who knows, as a temporary stay for the accused, before they went to trial in Évora.

It has an area dedicated to the heritage and history of Monsaraz and several thematic rooms: "Religion and Man", focused on the so-called Religions of the Book (Christianity, Judaism and Islam); and "Judaism in Monsaraz", a space dedicated to the history and the Jewish presence in Monsaraz, developed according to the existing documents and artefacts. In the "Past/Future Space" images of the inquisition, the holocaust, wars and religious conflicts are displayed to exemplify the suffering of the Jewish people throughout History.

The Centre also has a working and reception office for researchers and students, allowing the development of historical scientific research.