The Ximenes, from the Iberian Peninsula to the world
The Spanish city of Segovia was the birthplace of the Sephardic patriarch Abrahan Senior, which gave rise to the numerous Ximenes family. Internationally known for the Roman aqueduct with more than 160 arches and most of them made of granite and without mortar, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
Pursued by Inquisition of Spain and Portugal (formerly the Iberian Peninsula), many of their descendants fled to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, because there the government was tolerant of the Jews and they could freely practice their faith. In addition, the city was known as an important financial center in Europe. David Senior Colonel, son of Abrahan Senior, was one of those who fled to Holland and later migrated to State during the Dutch occupation in 1636.
HERE YOU CAN START BUILDING YOUR GENEALOGICAL TREE.
David and his family moved to Pernambuco, where his brother already lived Antonio de Mendonça Saraiva and there it increased its wealth. He owned real estate and sugar mills and became the richest man in the region. He died in 1650 at the age of 75. Some researchers believe that White Days, important name of Judaism in Brazil, and descendant of it.
Another important member of the Ximenes family was Duarte Ximenes of Aragon, lord of Engenho Araripe, married to Filipa de Abreu Soares. From Pernambuco, their descendants migrated to the Ceara, more precisely for Sobral and neighboring cities. The region is today an important and well-known storehouse of descendants of Sephardic Jews, many of whom have already achieved Portuguese citizenship in this way.
HERE YOU CAN START BUILDING YOUR GENEALOGICAL TREE.
Important to remember:Last names are indications, but they do not determine whether or not you are descendants of Sephardic Jews. To prove this link, a genealogical study is really necessary.
"Because of a controversy, they are changing a historical reparation," says Isabel Comte.
The proposed changes to the Nationality Law in Portugal remain at the center of public debate, even after the decision […]
Per Marketing Martins Castro
on December 29, 2025
"The Constitutional Court gave time, it didn't change the law," says a lawyer from Martins Castro.
The recent decision by the Portuguese Constitutional Court, which blocked key parts of the government's proposal to tighten access […]
Per Marketing Martins Castro
on December 29, 2025
Nationality for minor children: why is the process usually simpler?
Among the various pathways provided for in the Portuguese Nationality Law, transmission to minor children is usually perceived as a […]
Per Marketing Martins Castro
on December 29, 2025