The monumental 19th century Jewish cemetery in Livorno, Italy was “returned to the city” after a first phase of restoration, with a gala ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 11 attended by the city’s mayor, Jewish leaders and other VIPs.
The work included repair and refurbishing of the cemetery’s perimeter wall and monumental arched entrance, as well as some clean up and maintenance inside the cemetery. The monumental entry had been in derelict condition, with its structure crumbling and ornate wrought iron gates rusted and deformed.
The operation was financed by the Italian Ministry of Culture, municipal authorities, the local Jewish community, the Livorno Foundation, and others.
Further clean-up, maintenance and repair work is now planned for the cemetery itself. Founded in 1840, the cemetery was in use until 1900 and includes about 4,000 burials sites, many of them marked by grand family tombs. It was seriously damaged during World War II and remained in neglected condition for decades.
Click here for slide shows of the opening ceremony and repaired entrance