Former Jewish Ghetto of Bologna
The former Jewish Ghetto of Bologna is today one of the most fascinating places in the medieval city. Located just a few steps from the Two Towers, this area was once separated from the rest of the city by large gates that were closed at sunset and only reopened in the morning to allow the Jews of Bologna to ply their trade outside the ghetto.
One of the gates of the ancient ghetto is still visible today at the intersection of Via del Carro and Via Zamboni. Here, the large arch adorned by the Mascherone of Palazzo Malvasia leads into the maze of streets where the city's Jewish community once lived. What immediately strikes one upon entering the ghetto are its narrow, winding alleys. This is due to the scarcity of space in the ghetto, which forced its inhabitants to make the most of the available living space.
The heart of the ghetto was in today's Via dell'Inferno, which until 1943 housed Bologna's synagogue at number 16, destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.
Bologna's Jewish community
The history of Bologna's ghetto has its roots in the 16th century. 1555 was a pivotal year in the history of Jewish communities in Italy and Europe, because it was precisely then that the Pope issued the
bull Cum nimis absurdum. This document sanctioned the
end of a long period of integration in which Catholics and Jews lived side by side; the latter also often played an important role in the local economy, as many of them worked in the cities as merchants or bankers.
With the bull of 1566, the Pope forced the Jews to wear a symbol that made them recognisable in the eyes of all, to live within a specific area of the city, the 'Jewish menagerie' or ghetto, and to attend at least one mass a month in a vain attempt to convert them to the Catholic religion.
Bologna had become part of the
Papal State in 1506 under Julius II, and therefore could not escape the application of the papal rules just seen. Thus the ghetto was born, but it did not last long. Only a few decades later, in 1593, the Jewish community in Bologna was
forced to evacuate the city by order of the papal government and take refuge in other areas of the region, such as the Este dominions of Modena and Ferrara, which had always been more tolerant towards them, or in Northern Europe.
It was only between the 18th and 19th centuries that Jews began to return to Bologna. After the Unification of Italy, it was established that Jews should be considered equal to any other citizen, regardless of religious affiliation. But with the advent of
World War II deportations began, and 85 Bolognese Jews, including the rabbi in charge at the time, were captured and never returned to the city.
What to see in the former Jewish Ghetto of Bologna
Today, the Ghetto of Bologna houses the city's
Jewish Museum in Via Valdonica, created to commemorate the local Jewish community, of which it collects numerous testimonies. Housed in the 16th-century Palazzo Pannolini, the museum is divided into three sections dedicated to the history of the local community, Jewish identity and education.
The city's
new synagogue, on the other hand, has been relocated to Via de' Gombruti, in a building constructed in the late 18th century. Despite the damage suffered during the Second World War, the new synagogue still remains the most important reference point for Bologna's Jewish community. A plaque at the back of the building commemorates the names of the Jews deported during the war.
