Praza do Ferro & the Old Jewish Quarter
Most visitors walk straight to the cathedral and miss the tangle of medieval streets just to its north — the former Jewish quarter (aljama) of Ourense, where narrow lanes, carved stone doorways and small iron-railed squares create one of the most atmospheric corners of any Galician city.
The quarter's history and architecture
Ourense's Jewish community flourished here from the 12th century until the expulsion of 1492, and the street pattern — a dense labyrinth designed to confuse outsiders — still survives almost intact. Look for the telltale narrow alleys called 'rúas' that bend sharply every 20 metres.
Praza do Ferro itself is a tiny, slightly sunken square ringed by stone arcades where locals sit on stone benches at all hours. The name ('Iron Square') comes from the blacksmiths who worked here in the medieval period. The carved granite lintels above several doorways date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
What to see and do here
The Romanesque church of Santa María Nai, just steps away, contains a remarkable 12th-century carving of the Virgin that was hidden inside a wall during the Reformation and only rediscovered in the 20th century — ask the sacristan to show you the original stonework up close.
In the evenings the quarter fills with locals doing the paseo, and several small bars serve excellent vermouth and tinned conservas (quality canned seafood — a Galician speciality worth taking seriously). Pull up a stool at any bar with barrels outside and order a chato de Ribeiro.
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