Spanish Synagogue, Baroque synagogue in Cannaregio district, Venice, Italy
The Spanish Synagogue is a Baroque prayer house in the Cannaregio district with stone walls, multiple chandeliers, and a carved wooden ceiling. The interior spans four floors and displays Baroque architectural details throughout the space.
The building was founded in 1580 during the Renaissance and served Spanish and Portuguese Jews who had traveled through Amsterdam, Livorno, and Ferrara. These arrival patterns shaped the community through the following centuries.
Inside, Sephardic Jewish traditions appear in the religious objects and decorations throughout the space. The rooms show how the community expressed faith through artistic details and careful design choices.
The chapel sits inside a regular residential building and is not easy to spot from outside. Look for the entrance door higher up in the Cannaregio district and take the narrow stairs upward to reach it.
The building has a plain and understated exterior that avoids standing out, yet the interior is filled with rich Baroque decoration. This contrast between modest outside and splendid inside reflects the rules that applied to Jewish buildings in Venice at that time.
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