When you think of religion and Italy, the first things that come to mind is Catholicism, the Pope and the Vatican.
The Jewish history in the city of Florence, however, is a long and complicated one. Luckily, tourists can learn about this history and see many important parts that make it up in the Great Synagogue of Florence and the Jewish Museum it now houses.
The Jews have been in Italy for centuries and in Florence since 1437. They did well in the city and became important bankers and businessmen in the community.
They enjoyed freedom under the Medici rule until 1555 when the Pope passed a seal that moved the Jews to a section of the city, the ghetto, and restricted their business to only the trade of used objects. The ghetto was built in 1570 to please the Pope.
The ghetto was destroyed in 1848 and Jews became citizens again. Although, the ghetto no longer exists, there are a few reminders of where it once was. According to the Virtual Jewish Library, “One inscription...above the arch in Piazza della Repubblica, says, "The old centre of the city restored from age-long squalor to a new life."
The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum in Florence is a great way to learn about this complicated history. The synagogue was built in 1882 and is a beautiful temple that anyone who loves architecture or religion would thoroughly enjoy. There are many stained glass windows, a second floor balcony and an extravagant shul, or chapel.
“The architecture itself is similar style to many churches in Italy but the colors were really unique and I haven’t seen anything like that before in Florence,” said Kelvy Alter, a Jewish-American student that visited the museum. “It’s also cool that the architects were two Christians and one Jew.”
On the second floor of the temple, there is a small museum with many artifacts from the city, ghetto and other synagogues that were destroyed. It is only 8 euro and is one of the most beautiful sites to see in Florence.
In World War II, the temple was supposed to be blown up by the Nazis, but their underground mines did not work and only a few columns fell down. These columns are in front of the temple now.
“I wish the museum had more, it was only one floor and kept you wanting more,” Alter said.
Another great reason to visit this museum is that it is located in a small Jewish area of the city that not many tourists get to see. There are other synagogues in this area and Kosher markets and restaurants that are very good and different than other Italian food.
The Jewish history in Florence is important to know as it was a huge part of their city for over 250 years. It is important to remember the other religions that exist in Florence to truly understand the different cultures that make the city so unique.