Former Andalucían bar confirmed as lost medieval synagogue

City of Utrera's mayor heralds extraordinary' proof that building is part of legacy of Spain's exiled Jews

Archaeologists in the Andalucian city of Utrera have rediscovered a staggeringly rare Spanish medieval synagogue, which was later used over the course of seven centuries as everything from a hospital and a home for abandoned children to a restaurant and disco-pub.

The find, announced on Tuesday, makes the 14th-century building one of a precious handful of medieval synagogues to have survived the aftermath of the expulsion of Spain's Jews in 1492.