Segona Sinagoga

Segona Sinagoga (Second Synagogue) is a historic building in the former Jewish quarter of Castelló d'Empúries, a medieval town in the Alt Empordà region of Girona province, Catalonia.

What is the Segona Sinagoga?

The building stands at Carrer de les Peixateries Velles 12, inside the former call — the walled Jewish quarter of the old town. A synagogue on this site is first documented in 1264, and a further record from 1284 refers to it as the "sinagoga nova," located near the Puig del Mercadal. The Jewish community of Castelló d'Empúries had been formally established since 1238, when Count Ponç Hug III granted it rights in one of the oldest such charters in medieval Europe.

How do you get there?

Castelló d'Empúries sits a few kilometres inland from the Costa Brava coast, close to Figueres and Roses. The old town is fully walkable, so the easiest approach is to park near the entrance to the centre and head toward the Basilica of Santa Maria; the former Jewish quarter is a short walk away through the narrow medieval streets.

What can you see today?

The building now functions as a residential property, but it still carries clear traces of its original use. The ground floor keeps its original stonework, an arched entrance portal built with large voussoirs, and a secondary doorway that once led toward the fish stalls of the quarter. Inside, the ground level preserves barrel vaults with lunettes. The façade bears the date 1781, corresponding to a rebuilding phase carried out in the 17th and 18th centuries, although the overall layout still reflects the medieval plan. The building is listed in the Catalan inventory of architectural heritage.

What is the history behind it?

Beyond serving as a place of worship, the synagogue also functioned as a school — with separate spaces for men, women and children — the only place in town where children learned Hebrew and studied religious texts. It had its own attached butcher shop and fish market, which let the community keep dietary law. In 1321 the community obtained permission to rebuild and expand the structure. The year 1391 brought waves of violent attacks on Jewish communities across the Iberian Peninsula; the aljama of Castelló d'Empúries came through that period comparatively unscathed next to many neighbouring towns.

When should you visit?

Spring and early autumn are the best times, when Castelló d'Empúries sees fewer visitors than in summer and temperatures make walking the old town more comfortable. Combining the visit with the Basilica of Santa Maria and the nearby market square gives a fuller picture of the medieval town layout.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Segona Sinagoga? The building is privately owned and used as housing today, so the interior is not open to visitors; the façade and entrance portal can still be viewed from the street.

Why is it called the "second synagogue"? The name distinguishes this building from an earlier synagogue used by the Jewish community of Castelló d'Empúries; 13th-century records describe it as the "new synagogue" to set it apart from the older place of worship.

How old is the building? The first references to a synagogue on this site date to 1264, but the structure seen today mostly reflects a rebuilding phase from the 17th and 18th centuries, with 1781 inscribed on the façade.

What else survives from the old Jewish quarter? The surrounding streets still preserve the urban layout of the former call, along with gravestones from the Jewish cemetery; the nearby Basilica of Santa Maria, the largest Gothic church in Catalonia outside Barcelona, makes a natural addition to the visit.