Levantine Synagogue

The Levantine Synagogue (Italian: Scola Levantina), is a 16th-century Sephardic synagogue located in Venice, Italy.[1]

Levantine Synagogue
Scola Levantina
Religion
AffiliationJudaism
RegionVeneto
RiteSephardic
Year consecrated1541
Location
MunicipalityVenice
CountryItaly
Geographic coordinates45°26′41″N 12°19′32″E
Architecture
Architect(s)Baldassare Longhena and Andrea Brustolon
StyleBaroque

History

The synagogue was founded in 1541, and underwent total reconstruction about a century later.[2] It is believed that architect Baldassare Longhena worked on the exterior of the building, and Andrea Brustolon on the interior, specifically the pulpit.[3]

Description

The design of the synagogue is reminiscient of the Venetian Ghetto in the Cannaregio sestieri. The presence of the building is inconspicuous, as it is not well-accentuated on the outside. Only the windows, which are larger than a typical building's, stand out as different than the average dwelling, although the inside is far more intricate than the outside.[2]

The synagogue is located in the Campiellio de le Scuole area of the Ghetto.[4] Many external details are typical of Longhena's work, with a prominence of entablatures and volutes in the keystone, mirrored walls, the ashlar plinth, ovulate windows in the attic, and the doors' intricately carved decorations.[5]

Interior of the synagogue

In contrast to the exterior, the interior is rich and refined. The floor contains the scola luzzatto, normally used as a study. Up the steps on the bimah, adorned with Solomonic columns with floral decorations, is the rabbi's lectern. The pulpit floor leads to three windows. Opposite to the bimah is the Aron haQodesh, engraved with the Ten Commandments, with the Hebrew date 5542, corresponding to the year 1782.[4] A mechitza is visible and separates the higher women's gallery from the mens'. On both sides, a boiserie covers the walls, depicting biblical narratives.[6]

References
  1. Touring Club Italiano (2005). Touring club italiano - Gruppo editoriale L'Espresso (ed.). Venezia (in Italian). Vol. 5. Milano - Rome: Biblioteca di Repubblica, Italia. OCLC 799224309.
  2. "Le sinagoghe sono l'anima del ghetto". Museo Ebraico de Venezia. Archived from the original on 2018-06-28. Retrieved 5 Jul 2023.
  3. "Scuola Levantina". www.italia-ebraica.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  4. "Scola Levantina". jvenice.org (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2019-06-26. Retrieved 5 Jul 2023.
  5. Bassi, Elena (1962). Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane (ed.). Architettura del Sei e Settecento a Venezia (in Italian). Naples. p. 118.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. "Scola Canton". Visit Jewish Italy (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-07-06.
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