Italian Synagogue: An Orthodox Jewish House of Worship in Venice
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Venetian
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Synagogue
History
The Italian Synagogue is a Jewish house of worship in Venice, Italy, completed in 1575 in the Baroque style, known for elaborate forms and decoration. Founded by Venice’s Italian Jewish community, it was the city’s third synagogue and one of five established in the Venetian Ghetto. It served the Italian Jews, described as the poorest group living there.
The synagogue’s presence was tolerated on the condition that it remain concealed inside a building whose exterior did not appear to be a place of worship. Its congregation follows Orthodox Judaism, a movement that observes traditional Jewish law and practice, and the Italian rite, a liturgical tradition associated with Italian Jewish communities. The synagogue remains active.
Restoration work took place in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and again in 1970. A further extensive restoration campaign was completed in 2023.
Remains
The stone synagogue stands in Venice’s Cannaregio district, within the Jewish Ghetto, and faces Campo del Ghetto Novo. It is described as the smallest and simplest of the city’s five synagogues. Its exterior is inconspicuous among the surrounding buildings, while the interior is elaborately decorated. The worship room accommodates 25 people and contains a bimah, a platform for reading the Torah, and an Ark, the cabinet that holds Torah scrolls. Five large windows on the south side of the campo face the room and illuminate it.
