Explore over two thousand years of history at the Museo Ebraico di Roma, the Jewish Museum of Rome…read more Located in the basement of the Great Synagogue of Rome, it offers insight into the Jewish community in Rome since the second century BCE.
The museum explains the history and relationship of the Jewish community with Rome. Jews have lived in Rome for over two thousand years. Their presence in Rome predates Christianity. It is probably the oldest continuous Jewish community outside of the Israel and the Middle East. Written records trace the Jewish community to as early as 161 BCE when Judah Maccabee sent envoys to Rome. During the Roman Imperial period, as many as twelve synagogues existed in the city.
During the Middle Ages, Jews spread out throughout Europe, but were often forced to flee and relocate from the city where they had settled due to religious persecution. They often move to Rome. In 1492, all Jews (and others who were not Catholic) were expelled from Spain. Many fled to Rome. This led to a great diversity in religious customs and traditions. Despite tension and restrictions, Rome is the only city in Europe to never expel Jews.
For hundreds of years, Jewish families coexisted with their neighbors. They worked as bakers, butchers, physicians, money lenders and craftsmen. As the friction between the papacy and the Jewish community in the 1500s escalated, walled off Jewish ghettos were created following the model in Venice.
The Roman Ghetto was established as a result of Papal bull Cum nimis absurdum mandated by Pope Paul IV on 14 July 1555. The bull required that the 2,000 Jews who lived in Rome at the time to live in the ghetto, which was not only walled off, but the gates were also locked from the outside at night to keep them in. The Jewish community was also forced to pay 300 Roman scudi for the construction of the wall and gate. The location was prone to flooding and quite undesirable. By the late 1580s, roughly 3,500 inhabitants were living in inhuman conditions. During the plague of 1656, 800 of the ghetto's 4,000 inhabitants died.
The bull revoked almost all the rights of the Jewish community. It placed many restrictions on Jews including prohibition on property ownership (even within the ghetto), not being allowed to provide medical care to Christians and compulsory Catholic sermons on the Jewish Shabbat
Following the unification of Italy in 1870, the Jews were granted citizenship of Italy. In 1888, after an agreement between the Jewish Community and the city authorities, the Roman Jewish Ghetto was demolished, including five historic synagogues. The Great Synagogue was subsequently built in the former Ghetto area in 1904. The Roman Ghetto was the last remaining ghetto in Western Europe until ghettos were reintroduced by Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Today, the museum houses artifacts that span those two thousand years of history, including historic menorahs, torahs, circumcision chairs and tombstones. It was also interesting to see rimonim and menorahs from contemporary Roman artists.
Check the hours for a visit. The museum also includes a guided timed visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome. Dress code restrictions apply. It is closed on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Security in place as well.
