Spanish Synagogue - Venezia, Italy
Posted by: denben
N 45° 26.682 E 012° 19.533
33T E 290850 N 5035832
The Spanish Synagogue of Venice (Venetian: Scola Ponentina o Spagnola) is a synagogue of the Vecchio Ghetto. It is located in the Campo delle Scole opposite the Levantine Synagogue.
Waymark Code: WMX0W1
Location: Veneto, Italy
Date Posted: 11/09/2017
Views: 1
Founded in 1581 by the Sephardic community of Spanish and Portuguese origin, expelled from Spain in 1492, it is the largest of the Venetian synagogues. Located in the schoolyard in front of the Levantine School, it is recognizable for its windows with colored glass and a large wooden door.
The four-story yellow stone building, designed by architect Baldassarre Longhena was built in 1580 and was restored in 1635. It is a clandestine synagogue, which was tolerated on the condition that it be concealed within a building that gives no appearance being a house of worship form the exterior, although the interior is elaborately decorated.
A bifocal plant drain is dominated by an elliptical matrone that runs through the hall. Most probably the Baroque restoration was followed, as in the case of the Levantine Synagogue, by the workshop of Baldassare Longhena. The interior is enriched by three large chandeliers in the center of the room.
Rebuilt in the 18th century and restored in the 1800s it is still used for worship in the spring and summer. In months when it is not active for worship, it is possible to visit it through the guided tours of the Jewish Museum of Venice.
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