Venice Synagogues Window Restoration

The Jewish Ghetto in Venice, widely considered the first in Europe, celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2016.

Monument

Location

Venice, Italy

The First Jewish Ghetto in Europe

The Venetian Ghetto Nuovo, widely considered the first Jewish ghetto in Europe, is home to five synagogues built between the early sixteenth century and mid-seventeenth century. The sanctuaries—each representing different ethnic groups that settled and flourished in the ghetto—were constructed on the top floors of existing buildings and have remained mostly intact for centuries.

Historic Significance

The historic synagogues are a vital cultural resource in a city of great significance. The Schola Tedesca (German Synagogue), the oldest synagogue in the Ghetto, was built for the Ashkenazi community in 1529. The Schola Tedesca is today part of the Museo Ebraico, as is the Schola Canton; both synagogues receive thousands of visitors each year. The Schola Italiana, located on the Ghetto square, is also a part of the museum. Just outside the main square, the Spanish and Levantine Synagogues are used by the local Jewish community throughout the year.

Schola Tedesca is the oldest synagogue in the Venetian Ghetto, 2016.

Support for Window Restoration in Three Synagogues

In 2016, World Monuments Fund collaborated with local partners on a project to restore the historic windows in the Schola Canton, Schola Tedesca, and Schola Spagnola. The windows at these three synagogues reveal varying stages of deterioration, including cracking, missing panes, oxidation of decorative and structural metal elements, and damaged finishes. Loose frames and the resultant swelling and separation due to water filtration endanger the conservation of the interior architecture, finishes, and furniture of the centuries-old synagogues.

An expert team repaired the windows, their frames, and the leaded glass. This work helped improve the appearance of the synagogues and protect the structures more fully from water damage, a key element to advancing the action plan for the full restoration of the synagogues that was developed by the Communità Ebraica Venezia and the Museo Ebraico. WMF's window restoration project was completed in 2017.

Water seeping around the wooden frames and broken panes is damaging the synagogue walls, 2016.

At Schola Canton the windows retain their decorative details but show signs of deterioration, 2016

Windows located in the women’s gallery of Schola Spagnola show severe oxidation on the frames, 2016

Schola Spagnola, the largest in the Ghetto, was founded in 1580 and was rebuilt in the seventeenth century, 2016

Loose frames and the resultant swelling and separation due to water filtration, has altered the structure of the casements, 2016

Window at Schola Canton, 2016.

Conservation Project - Window Restoration at Three Synagogues in Venice, Italy

Related Projects

Completed Project

Jewish Cemetery on the Lido

In 1386 the Venetian Republic granted its Jewish community land for a cemetery at San Nicolò on the Lido, the thin strip of land separating the Venetian lagoon from the Adriatic Sea.

Completed Project

The Venetian Ghetto

The Venetian Ghetto, considered the first Jewish Ghetto in Europe, is undergoing a transformation to improve the visitor experience and better protect the five synagogues representing the ethnic groups that flourished there.

Completed Project

Schola Canton

The Schola Canton, constructed in 1532, stands as one of the oldest and most important extant Jewish institutions in the city.

Credits

This project was made possible thanks to the David Berg Foundation and WMF's Jewish Heritage Program supporters.