The Synagogue

“Throughout the centuries the development of Jewish art was always closely linked to the events and travels of its people on the one hand, and tradition and religious constraints and influences on the other. These two factors have always conditioned artistic expressivity … even though the only architectural manifestation for the Jewish people was the synagogue” (U. Fortis, Jews and Synagogues). The synagogue as a place of worship is completely different than those of other religions. The synagogue does not address religious needs and roles alone, but rather acts also as a centre for the secular activities of its community. It serves as the community’s centre and has a major role in uniting the community. This is especially true during Diaspora times.

The synagogues of the Ghetto were barely visible from the outside street; they were usually small spaces and were often located on the top floor. However, as if to compensate for that, inside they were richly decorated with magnificent furniture. Usually that furniture was donated by the richer families of the community, thus linking their name to the building. Typically, the decoration lacked any representation of human or animal figures (as this is forbidden in the Torah (Pentateuch), instead written texts from the bible as well as geometrical designs and images from the botanical world are used as forms of decorations. Some social organisations had specific social functions and served as mutual aid. The most important example of which was ‘Mattir Assurim’ which worked to liberate Jews imprisoned in the jails of the Grand Duke for financial debts. The physical development of any synagogue is quite complex but there are a few elements that are common to every synagogue:

• Aron Hakodesh (Ehal or the Sacred Arc) located on the east side of the synagogue and contains the sacred scrolls of the Torah (the Pentateuch)
• Bimah (Tevah) – a raised platform on which the Rabbi and the Cantor stand and from which they read, recite and sing the public prayer.
• The physical separation between men and women in the worship hall.

After the Emancipation, the synagogue loses its role as a meeting place and a study centre and remains solely a place of worship. It is then called a Temple and was built in venues specifically dedicated for that purpose, no longer situated inside apartment buildings. It is in this period that the synagogues develop their specific architectonic and structural characteristics, based on Christian churches but at the same time formulating a new Jewish identity.

The Synagogue of Florence

The synagogue of Florence was inaugurated in 1882, a few years after the emancipation of the Jews of Italy, which occurred in 1861 with the declaration of the Italian Republic. The synagogue is one of the finest examples of the exotic Moorish style incorporated with Arabic and Byzantine elements. This unique style characterizes both the exterior, the facade covered with white travertine sheets and chalky pink stone and its copper-coated central domes and lateral towers, and the interior with its decorations and wooden furniture.
The need for a new synagogue was acknowledged by 1847; nevertheless discussions within the community prevented the project from materializing. In 1868, however, Cavalier David Levi conditioned a donation on the building of a Monumental Temple that would dignify Florence. Two years later, in 1870, three architects were assigned to the project: Falcini, Treves and Micheli. The location too was a matter for much debate – should it be positioned in the city centre or perhaps in an area a little more peripheral. The latter prevailed and the quarter chosen was the Mattonaia, which, while within the city walls, was at that time an area not completely urbanized. The new Temple was inaugurated on October 24th 1882. Two approaches, seemingly contradictory but in fact linked, influenced the project. One was the influence of Christian churches and the Old Spanish synagogues, and the other was the search for a new Jewish identity that would be evident to the outside world through the architecture of the new synagogue. The final result, as seen through the eyes of 19th century Eclectism, was something new that integrated Moorish, Byzantine and Roman styles.

Arches divide the exterior of the synagogue in three parts both in its length and width. The worship hall is square in shape with two lateral naves and an apse at the back, where the Aron Hakodesh is located. The walls are painted with Moorish arabesques enhanced with gold and geometric patterns, the work of Giovanni Panti. The central dome is 47 meters long on the outside and 34 on the inside, located directly over the crossing of the two branches. The dome is divided into sections and wooden grids close the windows. An upper aperture allows light to enter the centre of the room. The benches, the podium, the pulpit and the bronze lamps were all designed together and were manufactured by the most prominent of Florentine artisans.
The synagogue in its complexity is considered one of the most beautiful buildings of Nineteenth Century Italy. It serves as a most important and extraordinary testimony to the history of the Jews of Florence. The decorative elements and structures have inspired various architectural projects both in Italy and outside Italy.

Some practical information

Location: Both the synagogue and the Jewish museum are located on Via Farini 6, 50121, Florence.
How to get there:
On foot: 1 minute from Piazza d’Azeglio. 5 minutes from Piazza Beccaria. 15 minutes from the central train station (Stazione FS SMN).
By bus: Bus lines: 6, 14, 23, 31; Bus stop: Colonna 01

The Jewish Museum

The idea of establishing a Jewish museum was the initiative of Rabbi Fernando Belgrado and it became possible in 1981 thanks to the donation of Marta del Mar Bigiavi. In the beginning the museum occupied the first floor at the back of the women’s gallery (Ezrat Nashim). The exhibits showed the history of the Jewish population in Florence and in addition included some examples of artefacts used for domestic worship as well as artefacts used for worship in the synagogue. The museum was designed by Architect Alberto Boraelvi, while the curator and researcher was Prof. Dora Liscia. The second part of the museum was inaugurated in 2007 and is located on the second floor. The architects were Renzo Funaro and Michele Tarroni and the curators were Prof. Dora Liscia and Laura Zaccagnini (who was responsible for the textile section). The museum’s collection was then divided into two sections: the first floor displays the ceremonial furniture used in the synagogue and on the second floor objects used for domestic worship are displayed. One room, assembled by Renzo Funaro and Liana Funaro was dedicated to the Shoah.
Several considerations were taken into account when choosing the location for the museum. Situating it within the Temple was the preferred choice due to its historical artistic importance and its monumentality. Another consideration was that since the Temple was already a place that tourists visit, they are naturally exposed to the content of the museum. The idea of using the cellars as exhibition space was quickly eliminated as it posed risk of a flooding (during the flood of 1966 the water level reached 2 meters. The ideal space, therefore, seemed to be the women’s gallery.
The museum is not very big but it is very captivating and allows also an extraordinary view of the main prayer hall as well as over the rooftops of Florence.

The Collection

The collection of the Jewish Museum of Florence occupies two stories and is located inside the Synagogue of Florence.
The first part of the exhibition documents the history of the Jews of Florence throughout the centuries and depicts the relationship between them and their city. Textile and silver artefacts from the XVI to the XIX centuries, which were used for ceremonies in the synagogue, are displayed.
On the second floor, with one room that holds a superb view over the prayer hall, artefacts for worship in the home are displayed. These objects help to demonstrate what the daily life of the Jews was like. They illustrate moments of festivity and special events throughout one’s life such as birth, marriage and Bar Mitzvah ceremonies. Many of these objects were donated by Jewish families who in this way wanted to show their devotion and dedication to the community. Among them was Cavalier David Levi who donated his property in order to build the synagogue and Rabbi Shmuel Zvi Margulies, Polish in origin, who founded and taught at the Italian Rabbinical College based in Florence.
A film is presented in the museum showing community life during the past two centuries. There is also a memorial room in which photographs and documents tell the story of Florentine Jews after the Emancipation, followed by the persecutions and then the period of the racial laws and later the deportation of Jews to the extermination camps, up until the rebirth and reconstruction after the Second World War.
There is also a computer room connected to all major Jewish museums throughout the world, thus linking the Florentine reality with that of the rest of the world.
The first part of the exhibition depicts the history of the Jewish community from the first settlement in Florence in 1437 and until the construction of the Ghetto in 1571. It then continues to the expansion of the Ghetto between 1704 and 1721 until its demolition in the last decade of the 19th Century. The exhibition contains layouts of the Ghetto as well as photographs of the destroyed Ghetto and of the old synagogues. The last part of the exhibition shows images of the construction of the Synagogue of Florence. Other Jewish places are also mentioned.
A large part of the collection is dedicated to the decorations of the Sefer Torah (the parchment scrolls, on which the Torah is written in Hebrew characters, rolled onto two wooden poles).
The second part of the collection, located on the second floor, comprises several objects that briefly tell the story of the origins of the Jewish community in Florence. While Cavalier David Levi is a symbol of Italian excellence (demonstrated by l’italianita’, a beautiful portrait of him painted by Antonio Ciseri in 1854), the core of the Florentine Jews was Sephardic, Jews originally from Spain and later North Africa and the Middle East.
The artefacts in the second floor are those used for domestic worship. These are objects that play a major role in illustrating the most important moments of the daily Jewish life and of religious festivities. The items are organized by their type or by their religious function. The family is of great importance in the Jewish religion. Therefore various artefacts related to family rituals can be seen in the collection. The majority of the Mitzvot (precepts) that each Jew is obliged to maintain are put into practice in day-to-day life. This too is depicted in the items in the collection.
A lot of the objects in the collection tell the story of one important Florentine family – the Ambron-Errera family.