Old main synagogue, Segovia facts for kids
The Old Main Synagogue (called antigua sinagoga mayor in Spanish) is a very old religious building in Segovia, Spain. It was built in the 1300s. This synagogue later became a convent for nuns from the Order of Saint Clare. A big fire in 1899 almost completely destroyed the building. However, it has been rebuilt and restored since then.
History of the Synagogue
The Old Main Synagogue was built around the middle of the 14th century (the 1300s). In the 15th century (the 1400s), the authorities took control of the building. In 1419, it was changed into a church. This church was dedicated to Corpus Christi.
In 1421, the bishop of Segovia gave the building to the Monastery of Santa María de Párraces. The monastery then sold it to two brothers, Manuel and Antonio del Sello. They turned it into a convent for the Sisters of Penitence. The building is still part of that convent today.
Architecture and Design
You don't enter the synagogue directly from the street. Instead, you go through a courtyard first. The synagogue was shaped like a rectangle. Inside, it had three main sections. These sections were separated by two large archways built in the Moorish style. This style often uses beautiful arches and detailed patterns.
The pillars that held up these arches were octagonal. This means they had eight sides. The top parts of the pillars, called capitals, had large decorations of plants. In 1899, a fire completely destroyed the building. Its current look comes from restoration work. This work started in 1902 and continued until 2004. During the last restoration, the original plasterwork on the capitals was fixed.
The building could be rebuilt because small pieces of the original capitals were found. These pieces helped workers create exact copies. Inside, opposite the entrance, there is a painting by Vicente Cutanda. It is called Miracle in the synagogue (Milagro en la sinagoga). He painted it in 1902.
See also
In Spanish: Convento del Corpus Christi (Segovia) para niños
