Synagogue of Siena
The Siena Synagogue is a historic Orthodox Jewish congregation and house of worship located at Via delle Scotte 14 in the heart of medieval Siena, Tuscany. Designed by architect Giuseppe del Rosso and completed in May 1786, the building blends Neoclassical architecture with abundant Rococo decorative elements in its interior. It also houses the Jewish Museum of Siena, making the complex a key destination for understanding the centuries-long presence of the Jewish community within this UNESCO-listed city.
At a glance
- Type
- Synagogue and Jewish museum
- Period
- Completed May 1786; Jewish community in Siena documented from the 13th century
- Style
- Neoclassical exterior; Rococo interior decoration
- Architect
- Giuseppe del Rosso
- Location
- Via delle Scotte 14, 53100 Siena, Tuscany, Italy
- Coordinates
- 43.3182° N, 11.3331° E
Overview
The Siena Synagogue stands in the former Jewish ghetto of Siena, a narrow district established by grand-ducal edict in the 16th century, just steps from the celebrated Piazza del Campo. Designed in the late 18th century, it represents one of the finest examples of Italian-rite synagogue architecture in Tuscany. Its attached museum documents the history of the Jewish community within one of the most beautiful medieval cities of Europe.
History
Jews lived in Siena from at least the 13th century, initially engaged in money-lending and trade under communal statute. A formal ghetto was established in 1571 under Cosimo I de’ Medici, confining the community to the Via delle Scotte area. The current synagogue was built in 1786 when the community undertook a major reconstruction of its place of worship, commissioning the Florentine architect Giuseppe del Rosso. Following emancipation in the 19th century and the persecutions of 1943–1945, the community survived, and the building was restored and reopened in the postwar period.
What you see
The synagogue interior is richly decorated in the Rococo manner fashionable in late 18th-century Tuscany, with gilded stucco, painted panels, and polychrome marble. The women’s gallery runs along three sides of the upper level. The Ark of the Torah, positioned on the wall facing Jerusalem, is particularly ornate. The Jewish Museum of Siena occupies adjacent rooms and displays ceremonial objects, documents, and community records spanning several centuries.
Cultural significance
Siena’s Jewish heritage forms an integral and often overlooked layer of the city’s medieval and Renaissance identity, alongside its Gothic civic monuments and the Palio tradition. The synagogue is listed among the historic sites protected under Italian cultural heritage law and forms part of the Jewish Italy cultural itinerary coordinated by the Unione delle Comunità Ebraiche Italiane. Its Rococo interior is of national art-historical importance as a well-preserved example of late-18th-century decorative culture in provincial Tuscany.
Practical information
- Address
- Via delle Scotte 14, 53100 Siena, Tuscany, Italy
- Visiting hours
- Check official website or contact the Jewish Community of Siena; guided visits are typically arranged in advance
- Museum
- Jewish Museum of Siena — housed within the same complex
Getting there
Siena is accessible by bus from Florence (approx. 1.5 hours via Siena Mobilità/Flixbus) or by train to Siena station followed by a bus or taxi to the historic centre. The synagogue is in the historic city centre, a short walk from Piazza del Campo. The ZTL restricted traffic zone applies to the city centre; visitors arriving by car should use the peripheral car parks and take the escalator or bus uphill.