The 10 Best Things to do in Hervas, Extremadura

Reviewed By ConchitaR - Madrid, Spain

the Hervás ghetto is worth traveling to visit calmly. The medieval city of Hervás, in a magnificent valley with a warm microclimate, was founded by Knights Templar and immediately a small Jewish community was created that was growing for two centuries, until its expulsion in 1492. Many of the Jewish families were converted and it is easy to follow its history after that date, but also many families left the city and went to Portugal and left their houses in Hervás. the Jewish quarter was in the northwest part of the town, and remained - as was the norm in the Castilian kingdoms - next to the castle of the city. Nowadays the castle -which was at the top- no longer exists because it was destroyed in the 16th century, and the church of Santa María, which occupies the most outstanding part of the city, was built in its place in the 17th century. But in its origin, the city of Hervás and its Jewish quarter always looked at the castle -the Lord of Béjar- that presided over the life of the city. The Jewish population was rich and active, and lived on agriculture, commerce and various trades such as cobbler, tanner, etc. From what I have read, life in Hervás of the Jews was fairly quiet, until the expulsion; at least, in the city they did not have some horrible customs that there were against the Jews in other towns like Toledo ... The streets of the Jewish quarter keep the disposition and traditions of its origin. The names of the streets (the one of the Synagogue, the one of the Rabilero - where the Rabbi lived) are conserved and the names of the families families that lived in them are known (the one of the Coen, for example) ... But the place where the Synagogue was, it no longer has this building, and is now occupied by a house and service buildings of a normal family. But you get a perfect idea with the fountains, the magnificent orchards, etc. of how life was there. There are some families of Israelis (or Jews) who have returned in recent years, and have put businesses (rural houses, typical tahonas) very well managed for tourism and visits to this neighborhood and this wonderful Jewish quarter. Everything is very well maintained, clean , and you can see the love of those who live in this Jewish quarter. We are left wanting to buy one of those small houses and go to live seasonally to this wonderful place.