One of the oldest synagogues in Europe.

Off Barcelona’s famous La Rambla street lies the city’s medieval Gothic area. A short walk from Jaume Square brings one to the heart of the old call − the Catalan term for Jewish quarter, which was derived from the Hebrew word kahal or kehilla (community) − where Jews lived and worshiped until the Spanish Inquisition. At No. 5 Marlat Street there is the ancient Synagogue Mayor.

Some say the Synagogue Mayor is the oldest synagogue in Europe, dating from sometime between the 3rd century and the 9th. Recent research puts the date as 6th century and rebuilt in the 14th. A document from 1267 shows that King James authorized the restoration and addition to the height of the synagogue. After the Inquisition the building was used for other purposes. In 1985 an Argentine immigrant discovered evidence that a rubble-filled basement at No. 5 Marlat was the old synagogue. Using centuries old Barcelona tax rolls, it was possible to document that the address was truly the Synagogue Mayor.

After restoration, the building was re-opened as a Jewish Museum in 2002. There are no regular services at the Synagogue, however it is used for festive occasions and in 2003 a Canadian couple were married there. A New York attorney donated a 500-year-old sefer Torah to the synagogue in 2006.