Tourist Attraction in Siena:
Sinagoga di Siena

The synagogue of Siena, built in 1786 in neoclassical style, is located in the historic center of the Tuscan town, in the alley of the Scotte, already "piazzetta del Tempio". The typology is typical of the ghetto synagogues, devoid of distinctive distinctive signs, but richly decorated inside. The synagogue of Siena was designed by the architect Giuseppe Del Rosso in 1786, in the heart of the Sienese ghetto, in the area where previous places of prayer arose. The Temple is one of the few examples of architecture between Rococo and Neoclassicism in the area. The external façade is simple and unadorned. As typical of the ghetto synagogues built before the Emancipation, nothing had to betray the presence of the place of worship from outside. In front of it is the source of the ghetto, originally adorned with a statue of Moses that added water, a work attributed to Jacopo della Quercia. The statue, removed in 1875 when Polish Jews complained that it broke the ban on image reproduction, was first transferred to the Museum of the Opera and then to the Museum of the Commune where it is still located. In contrast, the elegant interior of the synagogue is richly decorated. The hall, rectangular, houses the rows of banquets at the sides while in the center is the podium (tevà) made in 1756 and enriched by nine ten-string candelabras. In front of the arch faces the matroneo, the place reserved for prayer for women, being the synagogue of Siena of traditionalist rite. In this case, it is a kind of balcony enclosed by a wooden lattice. On the wall behind the podium are neoclassical windows, richly decorated and embedded in three arcs. On the ceiling, white and blue stucco form the tables of law. Inside, the synagogue hosts pieces of great value, including ritual silveres of the Florence Earnings Shop and rare cloths, called "Indian". Particular is Elia's chair, placed in the wide left entrance, donated to the community in 1860 by the Nissim rabbi. On the wooden backrest are finely inlaid the verses that recall the circumcision, the ceremony for which it was created.

Attractions in Siena