Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue

Apr-Sept daily 10am-2pm and 3:30-7pm; Oct-Mar daily 10am-2pm and 3:30-6pm Founded in 1203, Toledo's Sinagoga de Santa Maria La Blanca is nearly two centuries older than the more elaborate and more crowded Tránsito Synagogue. The lovely interior is full of horseshoe arches and charming details, and looks more like a mosque than a church or a synagogue. History Stormed in the early 15th century by a Christian mob led by St. Vincent Ferrer and converted into a church, the synagogue was later used as a carpenter's workshop, a store, a barracks, and a refuge for reformed prostitutes. What to See Much of the original synagogue remains, including the five naves and elaborate Mudéjar decorations, mosquelike in their effect. The white interior features graceful horseshoe arches, ornamental horizontal moldings, and a forest of columns supporting capitals of enchanting filigree workmanship.