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Key figures

Origin and history

The Montpellier synagogue is one of the few architectural testimonies of the medieval Jewish presence in Occitanie. Its remains, preserved in the cellars of a mansion of the XVII-XVIII centuries, include a lower room, a ritual bath (mikveh) fed by the water table, and vaulted ducts linking these spaces. These elements, dated from the 12th and 13th centuries, formed an almost intact Hebrew cultural ensemble, used until 1365 before the transfer of the community to another neighbourhood.

The site was first mentioned in 1201 as the "first synagogue of Montpellier", active until the expulsion of Jews from the kingdom in 1395. The two pre-existing houses were remodelled in the 18th century, integrating medieval remains into their structure. The mikveh, the centrepiece of the complex, illustrates the Jewish religious practices of the time, while the subsequent partitions reflect the successive reallocations of the sites after the disappearance of the community.

Ranked Historic Monument in 2002 and 2004, the building protects both the buildings housing the remains (including the old venom) and the entire mikveh. The property, shared between the municipality and individuals, bears witness to the historical stratification of the neighbourhood, between medieval heritage and modern transformations. The current address, 1 Barralerie Street, corresponds to the original location of Montpellier Jewish.

Location accuracy (noted 5/10) and iconographic sources, such as Creative Commons licensed photos, complement archival documentation. The protected elements highlight the heritage importance of the site, unique to the Occitan region. The absence of a public opening statement suggests a limited access, linked to its integration into a dense urban island.

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