Synagogue of Pesaro, 16th-century synagogue in Pesaro, Italy
This 16th-century synagogue contains two separate prayer halls with distinct entrances for men and women located on Via delle Scuole and Via delle Botteghe. The ground floor includes functional spaces such as an oven for unleavened bread preparation, a ritual immersion pool, and a traditional water well.
Banker Mordekhay Volterra founded this place, which became a center for Jewish scholars in the early 1500s after Iberian Jews arrived in Pesaro. This settlement was part of a broader wave of Jewish migration that transformed the city's cultural and religious life.
The prayer room shows ornate plaster work with rose windows and oak wreaths that reference the Della Rovere family, who gave protection to the Jewish community. These decorations reflect the prosperity and security the community experienced during this period.
The site is best explored on foot, as the two prayer halls and ground floor spaces are connected by internal stairs, creating a natural flow through the building. It helps to note the separate entrances to understand the spatial arrangement.
Two 19th-century paintings at the staircase depict the Temple of Jerusalem and the Tent of Meeting within local Italian landscapes, translating biblical sites into familiar settings. This artistic blend reflects how the community wove together its religious identity with its new home.
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