Driving Day - Belmonte Jews

Today we headed to the area on the Douro Valley that grows grapes for Port wines. We will be staying in a town called Lamego for 10 days, recharging our travel batteries and sightseeing in the surrounding area. The drive took about 4 hours on the no toll highway through the countryside, with a stop in the historic village of Belmonte.

Generations of Kings who were concerned about territorial defence decided to populate and fortify the area that is located on the border between Spain and Portugal. In 1991 a government program was set up called The Historic Villages Program. The aim of the program was “to restore and promote a series of ancient villages/human settlements important to the history of Portugal”. Belmonte is one of the 12 designated Historical Villages.

The border between Portugal and Spain is the oldest border in Europe and there were many rulers who built castles and walls, granted charters and gave privileges to those who would establish themselves in the areas close to Spain, especially since the 1100s. Because if no one lived in a place where so many battles were fought, it would have been easier for the enemy to conquer it. People saw each victory as a miracle, so they quickly built chapels or churches. For each event, a legend was created.

Pedro Álvares Cabral is without a doubt, the most well-known Belmonte native in history. King Manuel chose him as captain to the second armada to India, but Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil after a journey of 43 days and he became the most prominent figure of the Age of Discovery.

Also important in this town is the Jewish tradition which still lives on. Belmonte was one of the towns chosen as place of refuge by a small group of Sephardic Jews in the 1100s. Following the non-tolerance policies of the Catholic Kings, King Manuel issued a law which ordered all Portuguese Jews to convert to Christianity (1496). If they refused, they would be forced to leave the country.

We went to Belmonte because we had heard an interesting story about the Marranos that have been living in Belmonte who are sometimes referred to as the "Belmonte Jews." They are a community that has survived in secrecy for hundreds of years by maintaining a tradition of marrying within their families and by hiding all the external signs of their faith. To all outsiders, they were Catholic since 1496. They and their practices were discovered only in the 20th century. Can you imagine?

In Belmonte, there is a Jewish museum that we went to, that documents their history.

The Jews thought that they were the last living Jews and wanted to pass on their traditions. They did that for more than 600 years.

I found this poem about them...

PHOENIX
by Jocelyn Cooper

For 500 years
They hid
In the mountains of Belmonte
Along narrow streets
Among pretty flowers,
olive trees, and apple orchards

For 500 years
They hid -
Their religion
Forbidden by law

For 500 years
They prayed to their God
With tears in their eyes
Prayed to be allowed to pray

For 500 years
They lit the Sabbath candles
And drank the sacramental wine
In the cellars of their homes
Mothers passed on rituals
to daughters and grand-daughters

For 500 years they hid their belief
For 500 years they kept their faith

A knock on the door brought fear
A stranger could not be trusted

Forbidden by law
Yet
For 500 years
The flame was not extinguished

Today they walk with heads held high
To their house of worship

Magen David firmly planted in the garden
Menorah standing proudly in the garden
Outside Sinagoga Bet Eliyahu

Their voices sing the liturgy
Their voices sing
Sephardi melodies

That
For 500 years they hid
Behind closed doorsRead more