MEDIEVAL MIKVAH OF MONTPELLIER, GUIDED TOUR
A visit to discover a private mansion housing important remains of a Hebraic religious complex.
This place can only be visited within the framework of the guided tours organised by the Tourist Office. The mansion houses in its cellars important remains of a 13th century Hebrew cult complex. The Jewish community of Montpellier, numbering several thousand people, was, at the time, particularly large. It included landowners, craftsmen, merchants and doctors. The only element of this Hebrew ensemble that can be visited at present is the Mikveh. This Jewish ritual bath allowing ablutions of purification, especially before the Jewish Passover, is naturally fed by a groundwater table. Situated 15 steps down to the dressing room, it consists of a double bay with columns, with capitals with plant decoration that connect the dressing room and the bath. You can also admire the magnificent round arches. The synagogue and the adjoining rooms, dating from the same period, make this ensemble a unique heritage in Europe.
