Museums and Palaces

Damião de Góis and Victims of the Inquisition Museum

The Igreja de Santa Maria da Várzea (Church of Santa Maria da Várzea) is now the Damião de Góis and Victims of the Inquisition Museum, dedicated to the importance of the Jewish community in Alenquer, paying tribute to the memory of those who died there. The space is one of the most important dedicated to the victims of religious persecution and cultural intolerance in Portugal.

On the one hand, the Jews living in Alenquer were accused of having set a fire that consumed that religious temple, which led to their expulsion from the town at the end of the 15th century, after having been ordered to rebuild the church.

Damião de Góis (1502-1574), who was born and died in Alenquer, is buried in the church. He was the most important Portuguese Humanist, a guest of Erasmus of Rotterdam and a high royal official, having travelled all over Europe in the service of the King of Portugal. At the end of his life, he was arrested by the Inquisition for his thoughts and not for being a Judaizer. Accused of having adhered to Luther's ideas, he was only released when his health was beyond recovery.