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.
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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.
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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.
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