Jewish Tuscany

Image of a Ketubah, a formal marriage contract, 1705 - Jewish Museum, Livorno

Program 7

Tuscany has a wealth of places, buildings, furnishings and archives which bear witness to the Jewish presence and to how closely it was, and is, interwoven with the region's history and cultural heritage. The Jewish communities of Livorno, Pisa and Florence are three of the most interesting among those currently active in Italy. The "Jewish Tuscany" program is designed to explore this Jewish legacy from religious, human and historical points of view. The synagogues, museums and cemeteries are maintained and open to anyone wishing to discover or find out more about their roots, or who is interested in the Tuscan Jewish culture.

A basic knowledge of Italian is needed to take part in these itineraries.

Program 7a

Livorno - A community of Sephardic origin founded following promulgation in 1593 by will of Ferdinand 1st de Medici of the "Livornine" laws which established a kind of immunity for Jews and their property. Visits can be made to the present-day synagogue, the museum and the old part of the cemetery. The synagogue was inaugurated in 1962 and houses a noteworthy, gilded, carved, wooden "Aron HaKodesh" (Holy Ark) (1702).

Pisa - A community dating back to at least the Middle Ages consisting of Jews of Provencal or Spanish origin exists there. The itinerary offers visits to the synagogue, renovated in 1863 by the architect Marco Treves, and to the cemetery, which is considered a place of prime importance for Jewish history.

Florence - A community has been in existence there since at least the XV century. This itinerary includes a visit to the Great Temple, also called "emancipation temple" because it was the first edifice built specifically to be a synagogue for all to see and not a space converted from part of a family dwelling, and to the Community Museum, which has been laid out in a single, vast space situated behind the central part of the women's gallery. The display contains objects used during Jewish religious festivities and in everyday life.

Program 7b

Given the richness of Jewish heritage in Tuscany, a two-day itinerary has been organized. You will have the chance to visit the synagogue and cemetery in Siena, as well as the city itself, and make a short visit to the province of Grosseto. A community in Pitigliano, called "the city of refuge", goes back to the XVI century and, together with the communities in Sorano and Sovana, saw the arrival of numerous Jews following the issue by Pope Paul IV of anti-Jewish bulls expelling them from the Papal States. Departure will be on Sunday morning and return on Monday evening.

Culture and Hobby program 7a

€ 276.00

includes:

Culture and Hobby program 7b

€ 312.00

includes: