Casina dei Vallati — Shoah Museum
The Casina dei Vallati is a medieval tower-house complex in Rome’s historic Jewish Quarter, dating from the 12th–13th centuries and named after the Vallati family who owned it for generations. Today it serves as the home of the Centro di Cultura Ebraica and houses a permanent exhibition on the Shoah in Rome, commemorating the deportation of Roman Jews during the German occupation of 1943–1944.
At a glance
- Type
- Medieval tower-house; Jewish cultural centre and Shoah memorial museum
- Period
- Building: 12th–13th century; current museum use: established late 20th century
- Style
- Medieval Roman residential architecture (casa-torre)
- Location
- Via del Portico d’Ottavia, Rome (Jewish Quarter / Sant’Angelo district)
- Coordinates
- 41.8922° N, 12.4787° E
Overview
The Casina dei Vallati stands in the heart of Rome’s ancient Jewish Quarter, one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited Jewish communities. The medieval complex combines historical architecture with a mission of memory: its permanent exhibition documents the Shoah as it was experienced in Rome, tracing the roundup of 16 October 1943, the deportations to Auschwitz, and the fate of the Roman Jewish community under Nazi-Fascist occupation. The centre also promotes contemporary Jewish culture and education.
History
The tower-house was built by the Vallati family in the 12th or 13th century as part of the dense medieval fabric of central Rome, where powerful families constructed fortified residences for protection and prestige. The building survived successive waves of demolition and urban renewal, including the major clearances of the Jewish Ghetto in the late 19th century. After the Second World War and the gradual recovery of Roman Jewish community life, the complex was restored and repurposed as a cultural and memorial centre, taking on a new significance as a site of witness and education.
What you see
The permanent exhibition traces the history of Rome’s Jews under Fascism and Nazi occupation through photographs, documents, testimonies, and objects. A central focus is the roundup of 16 October 1943, when over 1,000 Roman Jews were seized and deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau; fewer than 200 survived. The medieval fabric of the building — stone walls, vaulted ceilings — provides a poignant counterpoint to the weight of the 20th-century history on display.
Cultural significance
The Casina dei Vallati holds a dual significance: as one of Rome’s rare surviving medieval tower-houses and as a site of active memory for Italy’s Jewish community. Its location in the historic Ghetto, steps from the Great Synagogue of Rome, places it within a living landscape of Jewish continuity and commemoration.
Practical information
Address: Via del Portico d’Ottavia 29, 00186 Rome. Check the official website of the Centro di Cultura Ebraica for current opening hours and admission. The nearby Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum of Rome offer complementary visits in the same neighbourhood.
Getting there
The Jewish Quarter is in the historic centre of Rome, accessible on foot from Campo de’ Fiori (10 minutes), Piazza Venezia (15 minutes), or the Colosseum (20 minutes). Bus lines 23, 63, and 280 stop nearby. The nearest tram stop is on Largo di Torre Argentina. No metro stop is immediately adjacent; the closest is Colosseo (Line B), about 1 km away.