Italy's golden triangle

EDGAR ASHER ISRANET

Almost every corner of Italy has something special to offer to today's traveller. In fact, for the first-time visitor to Italy, the problem of selecting what to see can be very difficult.

Italy has its own golden triangle in the centre of the country: a circular route from Rome to Florence and back again. Within this triangle is some of the most outstanding scenery combined with a fairy tale selection of villages, some having their origin in Etruscan times.

For the Jewish traveller, the golden triangle has much to offer, including such charming medieval towns as Chianciano Terme, Montecatini Alto and, of course, Pisa. For those who would like to see something of how Italian Jews lived, and live today, there are many places that give an insight into Jewish roots and traditions. It was the Italians who coined the word "ghetto" to describe a quarter where Jews were restricted to live, often in abject poverty. In many places in Italy, there are poignant reminders of this ghetto life.

The only real way to explore the golden triangle is by car. A good starting point is the most popular entry point into Italy, Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. Roads leaving the airport soon connect with the main Rome ring road, which in turn leads north on to the A1 autostrada in the direction of Florence and will also lead you to what many describe as Italy's most enchanting medieval city, Siena. Jews are recorded as living in Siena as long ago as the 14th century. As in other places in Italy, Jews were only permitted to work in

certain jobs and many became bankers. Later on, just as in neighboring Florence, the Jews were forced to live in ghettos and this state of affairs lasted in Siena until 1859. In 1786, in the heart of the ghetto, a synagogue was built and this can still be visited today at certain times of the week. Unfortunately, the Siena Jewish community today is very small, numbering only about 10 families.

At the northernmost point of our tour is Florence, regarded by many as the world's artistic capital.

The Jewish community of Florence has its origins in the 15th century. Shortly after the establishment of the community in Florence, small Jewish communities are recorded in several of the medieval towns that dot the nearby Tuscan landscape, such as San Gimignano, San Miniato, Pistoia and Volterra.

Florence's main synagogue, known as the Great Temple, was completed in 1882 and is a building of outstanding architectural interest. It owes its design to Moorish influence and thus brings a very unusual note to traditional Tuscan architecture and design. There is a warm welcome for visitors on Shabbat and those seeking a Friday night meal will also be welcome at the Chabad House, situated about 20 minutes' walk from the synagogue. During the week, it is possible to eat at Ruth's kosher dairy restaurant, which is located next to the synagogue.

There are several alternative routes to return to Rome, the most interesting being the old Roman road named the Via Cassia. The road goes through some fine countryside, but this in itself is not the reason for taking this particular route. Just before the highway reaches the Lake of Bolsena, one should take a diversion to the west and the village of Pitigliano.

The village is situated high on a tufa (lava) hill and has changed little over the centuries. Jews lived in Pitigliano from the 13th century and in 1622, following a papal decree, they were forced into a ghetto consisting of a cluster of houses on the edge of the southwestern cliff of the town. In 1649, the Jewish part of the nearby town of Castro was destroyed by the papal army and Jewish refugees from there fled to join their co-religionists in Pitigliano.

From 1735, all citizens enjoyed freedom of worship and the community began to grow and flourish and Jewish artisans opened workshops and store rooms. By 1860, the Jewish community of Pitigliano became known as Little Jerusalem, as its Jewish population had reached 400 people out of a total population of 2,200. From then on, the community started a slow decline, owing to mixed marriages or the fact that Jews were free to travel all over Italy, and did so. Many Jews also went to Palestine.

During the Second World War, the Catholic population of Pitigliano hid the Jews in the honeycombed tufa hills on which the town is built; thus, 99 per cent of them were saved from extermination. After the war, most of the Jews did not return to the town, preferring to go to the bigger cities and, by the late '50s, there were no more Jews in Pitigliano and the beautiful synagogue collapsed from neglect. In 1995, four centuries from its inception, the synagogue was rebuilt in its former glory and as a tribute to the town's Jewish past. Today, it is even possible to buy some fine kosher wine cultivated from the nearby Pitigliano vineyards.

Apart from the traditional and popular tourist locations, there are for the Jewish traveller some particularly interesting sights in Rome. There has been a Jewish community in Rome for around 2,000 years. In 1961, the remains of an ancient synagogue from the first century BCE was discovered in Ostia, Rome's port city, which further established the Jewish connection with the region. The Arch of Titus in the Foro Romano shows in graphic detail the sacking of the Second Temple and reminds us of the Roman influence and history in Israel.

Today, Rome has Italy's largest Jewish community of 15,000 Jews, half of the total Jewish population of the country. The heart of Jewish community life is centred around the city's magnificent synagogue, situated close to the eastern side of the Tiber River. Inaugurated in 1904, the Great Temple, as it is known, has a fine Jewish museum tracing the rich history of Italian Jewry. Many Jewish themes abound in Rome, as the source of much artistic inspiration was from the Old Testament.

The area immediately adjacent to the synagogue is the former ghetto area; however, only one small, narrow street and a fountain remain today as a reminder of this sad time. This area has many Jewish-owned shops and businesses. There are a few shops selling kosher meat and provisions, as well as a small kosher bakery that sells traditional cakes. Nearby is a kosher pizza shop, which sells a delicious array of non-dairy pizzas.

^TOP