The 1498 Navarrese expulsion decree forced the kingdom's Jewish population to choose conversion or exile, effectively ending organized Jewish life in Navarre.
Key Facts
- Decree issued by
- John III and Catherine of Navarre
- External pressure from
- Ferdinand II of Aragon
- Expulsion deadline
- March 1498
- Prior refugee influx
- Exiled Jews from Castile and Aragon after 1492
- Outcome for most Jews
- Conversion to Christianity and remained in Navarre
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the 1492 expulsions from Castile and Aragon, many Jews sought refuge in the landlocked Kingdom of Navarre, swelling its Jewish population. Ferdinand II of Aragon applied political pressure on the Navarrese monarchs John III and Catherine to expel Jews from their territory as well.
In 1498, John III and Catherine of Navarre issued a decree ordering the expulsion of Jews from Navarre, setting a March 1498 deadline. Jews were given the choice of leaving the kingdom or converting to Christianity. The landlocked geography of Navarre left most with little practical means of departure.
Faced with no viable escape route, the majority of Navarrese Jews converted to Christianity and remained in the kingdom as New Christians. Their descendants integrated into Navarrese society and generally prospered throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.