The Spanish government has allocated €1.5 million to carry to restoration work on the medieval synagogue and surrounding medieval remains conserved in the Archeological Park of Lorca, in southeast Spain. The funds will go specifically to resolving issues related to water run-off and drainage from the state-owned Parador hotel, which is located on the site and incorporates some of the ruins, including the synagogue.
“These funds allow us to continue valuing those heritage sites with great historical relevance, such as the surroundings of the synagogue, the archaeological remains, and the south wall of the Lorca Parador, and to continue promoting our cultural heritage,” Mayor Diego José Mateos stated in a press release September 26.
Paradors are government-owned hotels that, in a program launched in 1928, are generally located in historic buildings or at historic sites.
The government made the allocation through the Next Generation EU recovery package, adopted by the European Union in 2020, to support member states facing and recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Lorca allocation came as part of a government grant of €81 million toward the rehabilitation, maintenance, and improvement of historic Parador sites throughout the country.
“This investment, charged to the Next Generation funds, is part of the historical commitment of the Government of Spain for the improvement and maintenance of its historical heritage of the Paradors of Spain,” Mateos said in the press release.
The medieval synagogue and the former medieval Jewish quarter are within the walls of the fortified area of Lorca castle, where Jews settled at least from the 13th century. The remains of the synagogue and the surrounding “judería” – which includes 18 houses — were discovered during archeological excavations that began in 2002 when construction of the Parador hotel got under way.
The hotel was built on the site, above and around some of the ruins, including the synagogue.
According to most surveys and studies, the rectangular-plan synagogue is believed to have been built in two phases in the 15th century, with its foundations lower than the surrounding buildings. It is a rare example of a medieval synagogue in Spain that was not converted into a church after the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.
The remains feature a central bimah and the niche of the one-time Ark on the eastern wall, accessible via two steps. All the walls feature seats, interrupted by the remains of pillars that supported the roof. Next to the vestibule, in a smaller room attached to the southwestern wall of the synagogue, was the women’s area.
During the excavations in 2002-2003, more than 2,600 fragments of glass probably belonging to lamps used to illuminate the synagogue were found around the bimah. Over the years, it was possible to recreate 27 lamps from these fragments; these are exhibited at the Lorca archeological museum, together with pieces of Hanukkah lamps, ceramics, coins, and other items found during the excavations.
In 2012, when the last archeological excavation in the area was completed (and the Parador opened), the synagogue, the former Jewish quarter and the other archeological remains of the castle area were incorporated into the “Archeological Park of the Lorca Castle.” The synagogue itself has been symbolically reconstructed, with a wooden structure recreating its walls and vaulted ceiling suspended over the remains of the original stone walls.
Watch a video about Lorca Jewish history and heritage sites in Spanish with English subtitles:
See press release from the Municipality
See a detailed description of the synagogue (from page 293)
See detailed description and analysis of the archaeological excavations of the synagogue HERE andHERE
See videos about the exhibition at the Lorca Archaeological Museum
See Lorca’s entry in the Red de Juderias network of Jewish quarters in Spain