Synagogue of Mantova

A non-descript building in a narrow street of Mantova's historic center is the remaining thread in the tapestry of a once-thriving Jewish community. Mantova once housed six synagogues to serve the city's 3,000 Jews, among whom were doctors, playwrights and composers. The first synagogue was built in 1513 and during the 16th- and 17-centuries they enjoyed a thriving community under the Duchy of Gonzaga. The counter-reformation brought riots, ghettoes, and banishment.

A synagogue was re-established in Mantova in the late 1800s. The lovely interior is embellished with stucco designs and beautiful wrought iron chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceilings. The highlight is the newly restored Holy Ark of the Torah. Decorated with delicate gilded carvings, it dates to 1543, making it one of the oldest in the world. The building is also home to the Jewish Historical Archives, containing scrolls, manuscripts and musical sheets that originate from as far back as 1522.