Synagogues of Venice and Rome

I was in Rome last year staying in the old Jewish quarter so decided to check out the Jewish museum and synagogue. You buy tickets for the museum and they'll tell you when the english tour is going to the synagogue. You'll go back into the small museum if you still want to look around. The synagogue is not old but is within the historic ghetto, which is still a center of Jewish cultural life and the museum. I doubt you'd need to buy tickets ahead of time. A tour of the area would probably cover all this plus more in depth of the neighborhood. Otherwise, just walk around. Rick has a short walking tour of the area that's pretty good. If you need a break from all that, all the restaurants along the main street are pretty good. I liked Nonna Betta for pasta and more casual atmosphere and Il Pompiere for a fancier meal.

This piece was in the Guardian last year. Very nice. We enjoyed a visit to the museum there a couple of years ago but did miss the tour. I cannot remember why. Info here.

On our first visit to Rome we did a wonderful guided tour of the Jewish Ghetto, the Synagogue and Jewish Museum. This was with Jewish Roma. On our second visit a few years later we walked the area on our own. Don't miss the amazing bakery and enjoy lunch at one of the Kosher Restaurants.

We are looking forward to visiting Jewish Venice on our upcoming visit. From what we understand they do a great tour of Synagogue's and talk about the history of the area as well.

As far as ID, they may require a Passport for entrance to Synagogue. (This was a requirement recently at the Synagogue in Athens.)

Thanks Laurel for the Jewish Venice Website!

We toured the synagogues in Venice with a very humorous guide, and enjoyed it.

Website: http://www.museoebraico.it/en/guided-tours/

I believe in both cities we just walked to the area and bought tickets there. Florence is good, too.

I'd be astonished if either of them required advance tickets. Just don't go on the Sabbath or on a Jewish holiday.

The old Jewish Quarter in Venice is very interesting. It is not far from the main train station.

I was just at the Great Synagogue in Rome several weeks ago (for the fourth time). You enter the synagogue area through a security gate on the back corner of the property, across from Portico d'Ottavia, then down some steps into the museum on the lower level of the synagogue. You then buy a ticket for the museum (which is quite well done, and very informative with multiple displays in English, and multiple audio-visual screens throughout the some ten or so rooms). The cost of entry to the museum also covers the cost of the tour. When you buy your ticket, ask when the next tour will be in English (I'm guessing every hour or so), then listen for the guide who will walk through the rooms announcing "Tour in English!" We scheduled ourselves to get to the synagogue when it opened, and the first English tour was about 15 minutes after opening time, so we visited the museum after the tour. Re. Venice: Yes, you can hire a guide to show you around the Venetian Ghetto, but there is also a nice, smaller museum in the Ghetto, which you can visit on your own, and they offer a tour of three beautiful, historic synagogues in the Ghetto, led by their own guides. When you go to the museum, ask when the next tour will be in English. You cannot visit these synagogues without a tour group (or guide). Two are on the upper floors of buildings close by, and one is larger, in a self-contained building, and still in regular use. They actually vary which third synagogue to visit; one is used by the community during the summer, and one is used during the winter. I believe that the tour goes to visit whichever one is in use during the season of your visit. Again: my experience, which is of having visited both the Great Synagogue in Rome several times, and the Jewish Museum and synagogues of Venice several times, leads me to understand that purchasing tickets to visit the synagogues ahead of times is not necessary, and likely not possible. Do be aware of Sabbath times (close early on Fridays and closed on Saturdays) and Jewish holidays, when none of these will be open to the public. Oh, and finally: There is a lovely, historic synagogue in Florence, too, within easy walking distance of the historic center (10-15 minute walk from either Santa Croce or the Bargello).

Thank you!

Thank you Jane for your detailed information on the Synagogue's in Venice. I was hoping you would add to this conversation! In addition to Venice, if anyone is visiting Florence, we did a private tour with Jewish Florence. [email protected]. Giovanna is an historian of Florentine Architecture detailing the Jewish perspective. A morning well spent.

Oy vey! The link that Peter.S.Aus gives looks to be a link to the Jewish Museum in the Ghetto and gives great information about that museum, the synagogues that are visited in the tour, and the times for the tours. I followed the links to "attempt" to buy a ticket for a tour. Doesn't look like you can book a ticket for a specific tour time, so I'm not convinced that there's any reason to purchase a ticket to the museum + tour ahead of time (although I am usually an obsessive pre-booker!).

PS: Pack a few euros for the Judaica shops in the Ghetto. There are two lovely Venetian glass menorahs now at home in my living room! I didn't see any comparable Judaica shops in Rome, and that includes the very small gift shop in the Great Synagogue in Rome.

There is a small historic synagogue in Siena, right off the Piazza del Campo, that gets very little press, but is worth a quick visit if in the area. It is funded in part by the synagogue in Florence. A short walk from there is the small gallery of Sator Print, on Via Stalloreggi, where Eban creates beautiful cards, ketubas, and prints in Hebrew, English, and Italian. Check it out at: adarveadar.com

Tamara, along the line of the synagogues in Rome and Venice, keep your eyes open for "Stumbling stones" set in the pavement in various neighborhoods, including the Roman Jewish Ghetto? A little background here if unfamiliar with them:

https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/the-stumbling-stones-of-jewish-memorials.html

https://www.coe.int/en/web/venice/home/-/asset_publisher/khB2EQBiwkV6/content/18-new-stumbling-stones-laid-down?_101_INSTANCE_khB2EQBiwkV6_viewMode=view/

Thanks! Very interesting.

Looking forward to viewing the stumbling stones on our upcoming trip to Venice. Thanks so much for sharing!