The Kaminos Project – Cáceres | Restoration of the Historic Jewish Routes between Spain and Portugal

Cáceres, splendid city in western Spain's Extremadura region highlighted by its "Ciudad Monumental" the old town boasting a spectacular mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture with medieval streets, fortified palaces and houses and ecircled by 12^th century Moorish walls through the Provincial Council and its partners has launched the European project called "Kaminos" which intends in its development to recover the historic Jewish routes to neighboring Portugal after the expulsion of the Jewish Community from Spain.

The initiative of which the Provincial Institution is the main beneficiary started the project on the Cáceres - Castelo de Vide section, a Portuguese centre located in the district of Portoalegre in the Alentejo region associated with its gardens, abundance of vegetation and the proximity to the suggestive São Mamede mountain range with the aim of offering a tourism initiative focused on Jewish culture.

The total budget of the project has been quantified at € 1.09 million and the actions presented for the different entities are funded for 75% of the Spain-Portugal Interreg VI, A, POTEC, 2021 – 2027 cooperation program financed by the European Regional Development Fund, Feder.

In addition to the purely historical part, a primary objective of this Spanish-Portuguese cross-border initiative in which seven partners, three Spanish and four Portuguese, participate, is to transform "la Raya" the line, into a point of union, cooperation and opportunity on both sides and to create ideal living conditions attractive as regards the labor market, essential public services, accessibility by applying principles of social inclusion and equal opportunities.

The Provincial Council of Cáceres was the main beneficiary of the approval of the project in collaboration with the Portuguese University of Évora, the municipalities of Castelo de Vide, Marvão, Portoalegre, the municipality of Cáceres and the General Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Junta de Extremadura.

The meeting that was held by the partners of the initiative was the starting point to start planning "Kaminos" which is based on the historical events of 1492 that took place in Spain with the expulsion of the Jewish communities from the Iberian country and the virtual and real recreation of one of the exit routes to Portugal.

The first route on which work is starting is that of Cáceres - Castelo de Vide and the Provincial Council of Cáceres specifies that it starts from the basis of a first tourist route which consists of connecting these two towns, concentrating efforts on working so that this route is well designed and establishing which towns and villages will be part of this route, analyzing what resources must be exploited in order to be an added value.

Link - https://www.expreso.info/noticias/bazar/102417_el_proyecto_kaminos_recuperara_las_rutas_judias_de_caceres_con_portugal