The Great Synagogue of Florence is one of the largest synagogues in south-central Europe, located in Florence, Italy.

The Jewish communities of Florence have a long history, likely tracing back to Roman times. However, the wealthy community that built this synagogue was first established in 1437, when Jewish financiers were invited to settle in Florence under the protection of its rulers. Jews became moneylenders, merchants, and foreign trade traders. Many worked in scholarly professions, especially medicine, and Jewish doctors were registered with the association of physicians and pharmacists. The city’s Jewish cultural life was influenced by the achievements of Florentine culture; at the dawn of the new era, Jewish literature and education flourished. However, there is no record of places of worship in Florence until 1571, when a ghetto was established. The ghetto housed two synagogues, of Italian and Spanish rites. Later, a third synagogue was opened outside the ghetto, on the Jewish street near the residence of the Grand Dukes at Palazzo Pitti, where families of Jewish suppliers were allowed to live. The synagogues were closed only in 1848, along with the closing of the ghetto itself. A commemorative plaque marks the site of these synagogues.

After the annexation of Tuscany to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1859, Jews received full civil rights. In 1899, the rabbinical college was moved from Rome to Florence under the leadership of Rabbi Samuel Hirsch Margulies, and the community became a center of Jewish culture in Italy.

The Florence Synagogue was one of the most important synagogues built in Europe during the era of Jewish emancipation achieved by Jewish communities living in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1848. In 1848, the Jewish community in the Tuscan duchy was granted the status of free citizens. They considered building a new synagogue to symbolize these changes. But only later were they able to raise funds for such a construction. David Levi, president of the Jewish community, bequeathed his estate for the construction of the new synagogue after his death in 1870. The “Temple of Israel” was built between 1874 and 1882.

The synagogue was built according to the plans of architects Marco Treves, Mariano Falcini, and Vincenzo Micheli, winners of a competition announced by the Public Council in 1874. Marco Treves, the only Jew on the team of architects, is considered the main architect, although consultations were also held with professors of the Florentine Academy. Construction lasted eight years, from 1874 to 1882, in a public park on Via Farini in the Santa Croce district, near the historic city center. Many notable figures attended the opening ceremony on October 24, 1882, including Rabbi Jacob Maroni, then chief rabbi of Florence.

The building’s design combined Italian architectural traditions with Moorish decorative style. The Moorish style was considered appropriate for a synagogue because it was never used for churches, and in the case of the new Florence synagogue, it was built in the Sephardic style. It served as a reminder to Jews of the origins of Sephardic Jewry in Berber-Moorish Spain.

The masonry alternates layers of travertine and granite, creating a striped effect. In old photographs, bright red and beige stripes are visible, but the vivid colors of the stone have faded over time, leaving a more variegated effect.

The overall plan of the synagogue is quadrangular. The central dome, rising to a great height, was inspired, like many other elements of the building, by the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul), which was built as the main cathedral of the Byzantine Empire and later served as a model for many mosques. The corner towers are topped with horseshoe-shaped towers with onion domes in the Moorish Revival style. Three horseshoe arches form the main entrance, above which rise tiers of ajimez windows, paired horseshoe arches separated by a single column. The roof, made of natural copper, has oxidized to green to stand out against the Florentine skyline.

The facade is made of two different types of marble to harmonize with the surrounding architecture and features two octagonal turrets between which are three entrances with horseshoe arches. The windows and interior arches, as well as their ornamentation, also recall the Moorish style, and the motifs throughout the design are inspired by various sources. Nevertheless, the overall impression remains predominantly Moorish in style.

The interior was painted by local artist Giovanni Panti. The decoration uses gilding to emphasize Moorish motifs; in addition, the building boasts inlaid marble floors, rich mosaics, and stained glass windows. The bimah on a raised platform stands before the Holy Ark.

Inside the building, “every square inch is covered with colorful Moorish-style patterns.”

During World War II, the synagogue was occupied by German soldiers who used it as a warehouse. In August 1944, retreating German troops, together with Italian fascists, planted explosives to destroy the synagogue. However, Italian resistance fighters defused most of the explosives, and the damage was minor. After World War II, the synagogue was restored and reopened for worshippers, but even today, the doors of the Holy Ark bear traces of bayonet marks dating from World War II.

Like many other buildings, it suffered damage after the Arno River flood in 1966, but another restoration was undertaken to repair the damage.

The Great Synagogue of Florence still inspires general admiration as a masterpiece of architecture.

The 1922 Beth Am Synagogue (formerly Chizuk Amuno) in Baltimore, Maryland, has a similar scale and character, incorporating a number of design elements from the Great Synagogue. The second synagogue in Luxembourg, built in 1894, was constructed as a copy of the Great Synagogue.

The Jewish Museum of Florence (Museo Ebraico di Firenze) is a museum of Jewish history located in the Great Synagogue of Florence, Italy. The museum, occupying two rooms of the building, houses an important collection of ancient Jewish ceremonial art objects, demonstrating the high artistic level achieved by Jewish-Italian communities in applied arts. Exhibits illustrate the history of Florentine Jews from the first settlements to post-war restoration, showing old photographs, films, and a large number of everyday and commemorative items.

Today, the Jewish community of Florence numbers about 1,400 people. It has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. Additionally, the nearby Jewish community in the Oltrarno district, south of the Arno River, dates back to Roman times. Jews had a community in Rome even before the Common Era. It is believed that the first synagogue in Florence was probably built in the 13th century.

A stone monument near the synagogue commemorates the names of 284 Jews deported from Florence during the Holocaust.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Synagogue_of_Florence

https://dbs.anumuseum.org.il/skn/en/c6/e23554763/%D7%90%D7%95%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA/Tempio_Maggiore_The_Great_Synagogue_of_Florence_It