Introduction
Travellers who cross the Alps to enter Il Bel Paese (The Beautiful Country) will follow footsteps steeped in history and encounter landscapes rich in natural differences and dotted with extraordinary works of art, many of which speak to the Jewish presence throughout the peninsula. In Venice, visitors will come across the first ghetto in history; in Turin, they can lift their eyes to the monumental spire of the Mole, originally designed as a synagogue; in Florence, they can walk into the great synagogue of the Emancipation. As they head south to Rome, travellers will find the oldest community of the Diaspora; in Naples, the latest community to be reborn in Italy since the expulsion of 1492.
Throughout the country’s southern tip and in unique corners like the Sicilian town of Agira, visitors will find ancient remains imbued with millennias’ worth of history and legend. As they wander among these traces of history, tasting local flavors, they’ll build a connection to the land that will last a lifetime. Thanks to the collaboration of Visit Jewish Italy and I Tal Ya – L’Italia Ebraica – Cultura Gusto E Tradizioni, our route is an organized showcase that will guide you in arranging visits, planning itineraries, and accessing relevant services so that you can discover Jewish Italy’s remarkable heritage.
Explore the cities on this route
Annie Sacerdoti
The Project Managers for the Fondazione per i Beni Culturali Ebraici in Italia are Annie Sacerdoti and Baruch Lampronti.
Annie Sacerdoti is a journalist and author of the first “Guide to Jewish Italy”, as well as a series of regional Italian Jewish itineraries and Italian Jewish museum guides. A member of the AEPJ board since its inception, she was part of the team behind the first European Day of Jewish Culture. She is the Vice President of the Fondazione Beni Culturali Ebraici in Italia (FBCEI).
Baruch Lampronti
Baruch Lampronti has worked for years with the Foundation for Jewish Cultural Heritage in Italy. He participates in research and promotional projects on the historic and artistic heritage of Jewish communities in Italy. He has curated and contributed to several exhibitions, and has written articles and essays. Baruch holds a degree in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Turin. He is active in Jewish institutional and community life in Italy, especially in Piedmont, where he resides.
