FLORENCE – The doors of the Torah Ark under restoration
The master woodcarver Ferdinando Romanelli was the man responsible for embellishing the Torah Ark of the Synagogue of Florence at the end of the 19th Century. The city, which only a few years earlier had been the capital of Italy, was home to a prestigious woodcarving school, and Romanelli himself was one of its ambassadors, standing out in many national and international art exhibitions. At the same time that the synagogue was opened to the public, in 1882, he worked on the Torah Ark.
After more than 130 years, the passage of time has left its marks and the doors of the Aron HaKodesh are now being restored, thanks to the support of the Friends of Florence Foundation. “This is a normal intervention for us but, but since it is an historical artifact, we have to take some precautions,” explained to Pagine Ebraiche Simone Chiarugi, owner of one of the two studios located in Florence that are working on the restoration. “We have to work on the cracks and remove the dirt, being careful not to remove some of the scratches visible on the surface. These were made by the Nazis bayonets when they tried to break down the doors. They are a historical testimony.”
The restoration is taking place inside the synagogue, in a side area. It should be completed by mid-May, in time for the end of the Omer, the period between Passover and Shavuot. After Shavuot, which this year begins on June 1, it will be possible to celebrate weddings again “and the Community would like to do so with the original doors.”
This is not the first time Chiarugi has worked for the Jewish Community. He has previously restored the doors of the 18th century Torah Ark in the Synagogue of Siena and, in 2018, he participated in the restoration of the central dome of the synagogue of Florence. “That was a spectacular intervention, with acrobatic technicians working on the project and the installation of a protective net, which cannot be seen from below because it is made of nylon.” Chiarugi has been running the family business for many years. Founded in 1928, it has been passed down from grandfather to son to grandson. “We’ve been around for at least half a century,” Chiarugi explained. “It is a job driven by love and passion for art and beauty.”
Translated by Rebecca Luna Escobar, student at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, trainees in the newsroom of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities — Pagine Ebraiche.