The Synagogue of Siena, designed in 1786 on the site of previous places of worship, is located on Vicolo delle Scotte near Piazza del Campo. It today represents one of the few examples of architecture between Rococo and Neoclassicism in Tuscany. The simple exterior facade and, in contrast, the elegant richly decorated interior environment exemplify the synagogues built before Emancipation. The slightly rectangular hall hosts rows of benches on the sides, while in the center is the podium (Tevà) adorned with nine ten-branched candelabra from the 18th century. Among the preserved objects, special attention is deserved by an Elijah’s Chair, placed in the spacious entrance that precedes the prayer hall, donated to the Community in 1860 by Rabbi Nissin. The wooden backrest is finely inlaid with verses recalling the circumcision, the ceremony for which it was created. The visit to the Synagogue is complemented by a small educational exhibition in Italian and English: a path of texts, images, and documents, crossing significant events of the 700-year Jewish presence.
Information about Synagogue of Siena
delle Scotte, 14
Siena (Siena)
0577284647
comebrfi@tin.it
https://www.firenzebraica.net
Source: MIBACT
