When the order to leave Spain was proclaimed, Jews left Faro and found refuge in the nearby communities of Gibraltar and North Africa.

After the devastating earthquake of 1755 , the Marquise of Pombal invited Jews from Gibraltar and Northern Morocco to return and settle back in Portugal and help rebuild the economy of the region.

A small community soon arose, but it didn't last long because of migration of the youth to larger cities.

The Faro cemetery is all that remains of the first post-Inquisition Jewish presence in the Portuguese province of Algarve. The first burial took place in 1838 and the last one in 1932: 71 tombstones. The cemetery was recently restored.

The surnames engraved on the tombstones found in Faro are the same as those found in Gibraltar and in Northern Morocco – silent proof of a single origin.

(See FAQ button for additional tips):
Consider alternative or partial spellings of names