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The ancient Jewish Community of Ferrara

A walk into the old Jewish Ghetto

The ancient Jewish Ghetto of Ferrara is quite close to the Cathedral and the old market square, where the economical activities were wisely managed by the Jews Community, settled in this town since the 13th century. A pleasant walk through its lanes enables the visitor to discover precious buildings, some severely damaged by the bombings of the world war 2, but still capable to tell the story of the Sefardite and Aschkenazite Jews which fled Spain, Portugal and northen Europe and settled down here, in the period of the Este Dukes. Today a Museum hosted inside the main building of the Synagogues (“Fanese”, German and Italian) offers the opportunity to appreciate the fine quality of the art products realized in the past by these ferrarese Community and shows at the same time the deep meaning of their religious faith, approaching the visitor to a complex culture that we rarely ever investigate, even if we live so close.

Furthermore we can visit the Jewish graveyard, located in the northen part of the town, which holds in a sort of beautiful and wild garden the memories of the Community since the 17th century, including the tomb of Giorgio Bassani, the author of the novel 'The Garden of the Finzi Contini'.

N.B.: The Museum is temporarily cloded due to the earthquake of may 2012.

The cemetery is closed on Shabbat