Pisa | The Jewish Synagogue

In the historic center, near the Verdi Theater and the deconsecrated church of Sant’Andrea, we find the Synagogue, opened for worship in 1595 and still used today by the Jewish Community.

The Synagogue, a tale of the centuries-old history of the Jewish Community in Pisa

An extraordinary and evocative visiting experience in a site rich in history, emblematic of the ancient Jewish settlement in Pisa, which begins in the medieval period and extends to the present day.

The Synagogue narrates the centuries-old history of the Pisan Jewish settlement. Housed in a 14th-century building converted into a place of worship in 1595, it was restored in 1785 and completely renovated around 1860.”

The interior

Perfectly integrated into the urban fabric of the historic center, its interior houses the place of worship traditionally on the upper floor, accessed through a large and elegant staircase.

The interior features the traditional placement of the place of worship on the upper floor, accessed by a grand and elegant staircase. The space of the hall is covered by a pavilion vault, resembling a large inflated sail, adorned with geometric motifs, in accordance with Jewish law prohibiting figurative representations.

How it was originally

The original core of the Synagogue corresponded to a single house, to which a Jewish slaughterhouse and a ritual bath were added over the centuries, both now disappeared. In 1780, during the visit of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, the Temple had become a source of pride for the Pisan Jewish Community due to its beauty and size.

Its present appearance is the result of a renovation in 1861 by the Piedmontese architect Marco Treves, who also worked as the Superintendent of the Louvre in Paris.