Jewish Museum, Ferrara
Jewish Museum (Sinagoghe e Museo Ebraico) in Ferrara is an interesting collection of various subjects of cultural and ritual life of these people. And it is not surprising, because Jews played an important role in the history of the city. The museum is located on the second floor of the synagogue, which also has considerable cultural and artistic value.
History
Jewish settlements in Ferrara date back to the Middle Ages. Then a kind of ghetto was based here, and the Jews lived surrounded by their fellow tribesmen. In 1485, the wealthy Roman banker Ser Samuel Melli donated his house to the Jewish community for their needs. The building was soon reconstructed and turned into a synagogue. For many centuries, many valuable items were collected here, turning the second floor of the building into a museum. A huge damage to the synagogue and the museum was incurred during the Second World War, when the rich interior of the temple was destroyed by German soldiers. After the war, the sacred place was restored. But in 2012 Ferrara was subjected to an earthquake, and the synagogue was again damaged.
Synagogue and Museum
From the outside, it is quite modest, and nothing gives out the splendor of the interior. The synagogue has 3 halls. The largest, the so-called German Temple, is used for solemn events. On the walls there are many beautiful reliefs, supposedly made by Gaetano Davia, the author of the decorations of the city theater of Ferrara. In the second room, La Scola Fanese, there are also many decorative moldings, ornaments, valuable wooden chairs and marble thrones of the 19th century. It is used for Saturday rituals. The third hall, La Scola Italian is designed for different cultural events. Most of the furniture in the synagogue was moved here from the temple in the municipality of Cento, which is 30 km from Ferrara.
Traditional and religious objects, which illustrate different moments in the life of each Jew were displayed in 4 rooms of the museum. From birth to death. Among them – valuable furniture of the 18th century, silver, decorated with Torah scrolls, documentation, as well as Menorah and Hanukkiah. A real rarity is the key to the gates of the Jewish ghetto, which were closed every night from 1627 to 1859.
How to get there
The museum is located in the historic center of Ferrara, on Via Mazzini, 95. In the past these quarters were Jewish ghettos. Now, the Cathedral Museum and Palazzo Schifanoia are situated nearby. The nearest bus stop is 5 minutes away, this is Giovecca Montebello (routes 1, 6, 9, 21, 323, 390).
As of June 2018, the museum is closed for restoration, and most of the exhibits were transferred to the National Museum of Italian Judaism. For detailed information on the possibility of a visit, please call: (+39) 0532 210228.
