(JHE) — The soaring cupola of the monumental synagogue in Trieste is undergoing restoration. The work, which began around New Years, is aimed at renovating the external structure, including restoring its original coloring.
The €40,000 project is funded by Fondazione CRTrieste and should be completed by March, according the local newspaper Il Piccolo.
The 1,400-seat synagogue is one of the largest and most imposing in Europe. Inaugurated in 1912, it is a so-called “cathedral synagogue,” an opulent monument to the pride, power and prosperity of Triestine Jews at that time. A number of leading international architects submitted designs for the building, but the Jewish community awarded the commission to a local architect, Ruggiero Berlam, and his son Arduino.
Drawing heavily on ancient Babylonian and Middle Eastern motifs, the Berlams designed a massive, almost fortresslike structure. A huge rose window centered on a star of David dominates the stark main façade, which is flanked by a hulking, truncated tower. Decorative battlements edge the roof, and arched doors and windows are complemented by oriental domes. The massive proportions, ornamentation and ancient influences are carried through inside the sanctuary, which is surmounted by the soaring cupola.
In the cupola, the Berlams utilized materials and techniques that were innovative for the time, such as reinforced concrete.
“The cupola is an extraordinary structure, innovative for the period in which it was constructed,” Aulo Guagnini, the engineer overseeing the operations, told “Il Piccolo.” “It has a double shell of reinforced concrete […] the exterior is covered in sheet metal.
Guagnini said he is trying to discover the original color of the metal sheeting and recreate it, with the assistance of the local heritage authority. Today the cupola’s color is a sort of rusted grey, mixed with yellow and green nuances, as a result of its deterioration since its last restoration, in the 1980s.
See a video about the synagogue — it’s in Italian but shows the structure of the building.
Trieste also has a Jewish Museum founded in 1993 and located in the city center at Via del Monte. The museum focuses on the city’s rich Jewish history and includes Judaica objects coming from four synagogues that were demolished before and after the construction of the main synagogue.
Trieste’s vast Jewish cemetery is located in the outskirts of the city, and was founded in 1842. The cemetery bears witnesse to the multifaceted Jewish history of the city, which for centuries played a fundamental role as a commercial seaport. In fact, the tombstones are written in different languages, evidencing the different geographic origins of the people buried there.
Read a Have Your Say op-ed by Hanno Loewy about the Trieste Jewish cemetery
Read about Trieste on the Visit Jewish Italy web site
Lots of information on the Trieste Jewish community web site (in Italian)