NEWS The Colors of Jewish Italy Debut at Uffizi

By Pagine Ebraiche staff

The exhibition “All the colors of Jewish Italy. Precious fabrics from ancient Jerusalem to modern prêt-à-porter” was inaugurated at the Uffizi Galleries, on Wednesday. The exhibition is curated by director of the Jewish Museum of Florence, Dora Liscia Bemporad and director of the Jewish Museum of Rome, Olga Melasecchi.

The itinerary begins with the ornaments of the Temple of Solomon carefully described in the Bible to contemporary works by artist Emanuele Luzzati.

“We are before a wide-ranging exhibit on a theme that has never been covered in a major exhibition,” said the director of the Uffizi Eike Schmidt.

“The visitor will be surprised by the variety and richness of the objects on display, often never seen before, ranging from solemn liturgical wallpapers to diplomatic gifts, from dresses to embroidery,” he added.

“The precious ceremonial garments were one of the few forms of artistic expression available to the Jewish population in times of persecutions and restrictions, when the trade in used rags and fabrics was one of the very few activities allowed to Jews,” explained Dario Disegni, president of the Jewish Cultural Heritage Foundation in Italy.

The exhibition is divided in eight sections and features around 140 artefacts. It will be open until October 27.