Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca
Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, Synagogue in Toledo
Santa María la Blanca is an exemplary of Mudejar architecture.
Originally built in 1180, it is considered the oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing.
It was transformed into a church by the Catholic Monarchs.
Now it serves as a museum and is open to visitors.
Despite its Christian name, it holds no resemblance to contemporary Gothic cathedrals.
Location: Toledo
Inception: 1180
Architectural style: Moorish architecture
Part of: Historic City of Toledo
Address: C. de los Reyes Católicos, 4, 45002 Toledo, Spain 45002 Toledo
Opening Hours: 10:00-17:45
Phone: +34925227257
Website: https://toledomonumental.com/sinagoga-de-santa-maria-la-blanca
GPS coordinates: 39.85694,-4.03044
Latest update: May 27, 2025 13:13
The neo-Moorish architecture developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, driven by European interest in oriental forms. This architectural movement combines Western building elements with Moorish decorative motifs: horseshoe arches, carved arabesques, geometric mosaics, and ornate stuccoes. This stylistic synthesis appears in a variety of structures, from places of worship to private residences, theaters, and city fortifications. The collection gathers representative examples from across Europe and beyond. In Marseille, the Alcazar Grand Theatre has displayed a façade decorated with oriental patterns since 1857. The Great Synagogue of Brussels, inaugurated in 1878, demonstrates the adoption of this style in Belgian religious architecture. In Germany, Drachenburg Castle near Bonn incorporates Moorish elements into a late 19th-century villa. The movement also reaches unexpected locations: Brighton’s Royal Pavilion blends Indian and Islamic influences for a British royal seaside residence, while rural farms in Hälsingland, Sweden, include ornaments inspired by this orientalist trend. From Pena Palace overlooking Sintra to the Justo Sierra Synagogue in Mexico city, these buildings exemplify the international spread of an architectural style that profoundly marked its period.
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