NEWS Uffizi Gallery to Feature Exhibit of Precious Roman Jewish Textile Archive

roman-jewish-mappotBy Pagine Ebraiche staff
 
The world renown Uffizi Gallery in Florence will feature an exhibit of the ancient mappahs (mappa is the Hebrew word for cloth) of the Jewish Community of Rome in either 2018 or 2019.
 
Last week, a volume devoted to the topic curated by Doretta Davanzo Poli, Olga Melasecchi and Amedeo Spagnoletto was presented in the gallery, introducing the initiative that will see the Jewish Museum of Rome cooperating with the prestigious Florence museum.
 
“These objects, which date back to the Ghetto era, show the close ties between the Jewish Community of Rome and the rest of the Jewish world. They represent a testimony of how the Italian Jewish community, despite what many believe, has always been an open inclusive reality, never closed in on itself,” explained Gianni Ascarelli, a member of the board of the Jewish Community of Rome and member of the Council of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.
 
Enthusiastic support of the exhibition has been expressed also by the director of the Uffizi Gallery, Eike Schmidt.
 
“In the face of prevailing barbarism, before the enemies of civilization, before terror and populism in any form and manifestation, we must not stand by idly. This is first of all a cultural fight, and for this reason art and museums must play a prominent role. This is the path that I intend to pursue with all my strength,” Schmidt told Pagine Ebraiche.