Windows in three historic synagogues in Venice — the Scuola Canton, Scuola Tedesca and Scuola Spagnola — have been restored thanks to the World Monuments Fund and partners, with grants from the David Berg Foundation and other donors. All three date from the 16th century and are among five synagogues in the historic Venice Ghetto.
The WMF has just posted a video where you can watch the work being carried out.
As we reported in October, reparation was carried out by the expert team who worked on the conservation of the intricately decorated interior of the Scuola Canton in 2014. The work entailed repair of the windows, their frames, and the leaded glass.
The windows at these three synagogues reveal varying stages of deterioration, including cracking, missing panes, oxidation of decorative and structural metal elements, and damaged finishes. Loose frames and the resultant swelling and separation due to water filtration endanger the conservation of the interior architecture, finishes, and furniture of the centuries-old synagogues.
Read our post from October, 2016
3 comments on “Italy: Watch restoration of windows in Venice synagogues”
Are the synagogues now open for services? tours?
How were the windows preserved thru all the war?
Thank you for posting this wonderful video of the restoration now taking place in the synagogues of the Ghetto of Venice. I have been there and some of my ancestors would have worshiped there including Meldolas from Livorno who would have visited. I appreciate very much seeing the work and the magnificent synagogues which are the great legacy of Italian Jewry. I visited many years ago and I see now the now there is a revised new museum too. Thank you to all those working with so much great care on this important project.
very interesting film, the restoration is greatly needed and will help preserve these buildings for future generations. I think a general history of these synagogues should also have explained the need for the buildings to have been constructed in the way they were going higher and higher all the time!