Lisbon 1506: two Dominicans called for the extermination of "heretics", and more than 2,000 baptised Jews were murdered within 48 hours

Many baptised Jews lived in Lisbon as "New Christians" who were compelled to attend church ceremonies. On 19 April 1506 worshippers in the Dominican church saw a radiant crucifix as a miracle; a New Christian who expressed doubt was dragged out of the church, killed and burned. Two Dominicans marched through the streets with the crucifix, crying "Heresy!" and exhorting the people to extirpate all heretics. Within 48 hours more than 2,000, according to other accounts 4,000, New Christians were murdered, including babies and pregnant women. King Emanuel (Manuel I) had the two monks expelled from their order, garroted and burned.

Period

19 Apr 1506-21 Apr 1506 (3 days)

Country

Portugal

Institutions

Dominican monastery of Lisbon
Dominicans João Mocho and Bernaldo

Category

Anti-Judaism, Violence, Murder

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Persons

João Mocho (Dominican from Évora, incited the massacre, later executed)
Bernaldo (Dominican from Aragon, incited the massacre, later executed)

Background

Course of events

1. After the expulsion no Jews lived openly in Lisbon, but there were many "secret Jews" (New Christians) who were compelled to attend church ceremonies. King Emanuel favoured them, but according to the Jewish Encyclopedia he was powerless in the face of the incendiary speeches of fanatical priests. According to Graetz, the Dominicans preached about the godlessness of the converts in order to bring about their expulsion.
   Evidence: The Jewish Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1904), Artikel Lisbon, Abschnitt New Christians at Lisbon

   „there was a large number of "secret Jews," or "Christaõs Novos" (New Christians), who were compelled to attend the Church ceremonies“

   Evidence: The Jewish Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1904), Artikel Lisbon, Abschnitt New Christians at Lisbon

   „But the king was powerless to protect them in face of the incendiary speeches of fanatical priests.“

   Evidence: Heinrich Graetz, Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia 1891, Bd. 4, S. 486

   „This feeling was employed by the crafty Dominicans to gain the expulsion of the favorites of King Manoel. They not only preached about the godlessness of the converts“

2. On 19 April 1506 Christians and New Christians gathered in the Church of the Dominicans to pray for an end to the plague. In a side chapel a crucifix radiating an extraordinary brightness attracted attention, and the Christians saw in it a miracle. According to Graetz, the Dominicans had invented the miracle. A New Christian expressed doubt; he was dragged out of the church by the hair, killed by infuriated women and burned on the Rossio.
   Evidence: The Jewish Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1904), Artikel Lisbon, Abschnitt New Christians at Lisbon

   „a crucifix radiating an extraordinary brightness attracted the attention of the Christians, who saw therein a miracle“

   Evidence: The Jewish Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1904), Artikel Lisbon, Abschnitt New Christians at Lisbon

   „The unbelieving New Christian was seized by the hair, dragged out of the church, and killed forthwith by the infuriated women, and his body was burned on a hastily erected pile on the Rocio Praça.“

   Evidence: Heinrich Graetz, Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia 1891, Bd. 4, S. 486

   „but invented a miracle“

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

1. Two Dominican monks, João Mocho from Évora and the Aragonese Bernaldo, marched through the streets carrying the crucifix, crying "Heresy! Heresy!" and exhorting the people to extirpate all heretics. According to Graetz, a Dominican in a passionate sermon charged the people to murder the accursed converts because the king favoured them.
   Evidence: The Jewish Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1904), Artikel Lisbon, Abschnitt New Christians at Lisbon

   „Two Dominican monks, Joaõ Mocho, from Evora, and Bernaldo, an Aragonese, marched through the streets carrying the crucifix, calling aloud "Heresia! Heresia!" and exhorting the people to extirpate all heretics.“

   Evidence: Heinrich Graetz, Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia 1891, Bd. 4, S. 487

   „A Dominican, in a passionate sermon, charged the people collected in the church to murder the accursed converts, because the king favored them“

See also

• 1378-1391 · 13 years

  The 1391 pogroms in Spain: years of inflammatory sermons by Archdeacon Ferrand Martínez, thousands of Jews murdered, survivors forcibly baptised

  • Spain
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Expropriation
  • Murder
  • Persecution
• 23 May 1536-31 Mar 1821 · 284 years

  Portuguese Inquisition

  • Brazil
  • India
  • Portugal
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Expropriation
  • Torture
  • Heresy trials
  • Persecution

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   The Jewish Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1904): Lisbon, 1 January 1904. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 23 Oct 2026)
2. Scholarly literature
   Heinrich Graetz, Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia 1891: History of the Jews, Bd. 4, 1 January 1891. Original (retrieved 23 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 23 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.