At the end of May 2012, two major earthquakes struck northern Italy. The quakes killed at least 24 people, left thousands homeless, and caused widespread damage to art and architectural heritage. Synagogues and Jewish cemeteries were among the sites that suffered damage: synagogue buildings in Ferrara, Modena, Mantova, Sabbioneta, Soragna, and Sermide; and Jewish cemeteries in Ferrara, Cento, Lugo, and Finale Emilia.
Following the earthquake the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) examined the buildings, assessed the damage, and issued an appeal for funding, warning that “the rich Jewish heritage property that has been damaged […] could be destroyed if it is not restored.”
What is the situation today? In this article, we report on the current status of these sites — nine years after the earthquake. The situation differs from city to city: most repairs have been carried out, but in some cases they haven’t yet begun. (NOTE: Where no hyperlink is provided, the information came directly from Jewish community officials.)
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Finale Emilia (Jewish cemetery)
The epicenter of the earthquakes was near Finale Emilia, a city in Modena province that has the oldest Jewish cemetery in the region, dating back to the 17th century. The quake toppled trees, damaged the cemetery walls, and threatened the 58 grave markers, one of which was smashed.
Immediately after the earthquake, UCEI allocated €60,000 for the reconstruction of a local school named after a prominent local Jewish teacher, Elvira Castelfranchi (1874-1945), with some funds also earmarked for the cemetery, including repair of its walls. A private individual, Dr. Alessandro Osima, also donated funds to safeguard the matzevot, many of which were tilted over.
The quake spurred a local association, Alma Finalis, to embark on a general project to save the cemetery, including removal of the fallen trees and restoration of the matzevot, which suffered from general erosion and other age-related threats. Restoration of the stones had already been in the planning stage before the quake.
Funded mainly by a Modena foundation and private donations, the restoration of the matzevot was completed in 2015.
The Tahara house also suffered damage, and it remains shored up by a basic external support structure installed by the municipality.
The work to repair the cemetery’s walls hasn’t started yet, stalled by local administrative problems which have not unlocked the funding that was allocated nine years ago. An official of the Modena-Reggio Emilia Jewish community, which owns the cemetery, told JHE that the community’s president and vice president visited the cemetery in June and are trying to finally get the authoraization to use the funds to restore the walls.
Ferrara (Synagogues and Jewish cemetery)
The centuries-old Jewish community building is located in the heart of the former Jewish Ghetto area and dates back at least six centuries. It houses the Jewish community museum and three synagogues: the Italian, originally built in the 15th century; the German, originally built in 1603 and renovated several times; and the “Fanese,” a small Italian rite synagogue named after the Fano family, probably built between the 17th and 18th centuries.
The building was severely damaged by the quakes, forcing closure of the museum and synagogues.
Restoration of the synagogues has been completed, and the synagogues were officially reopened in September 2020 on the European Day of Jewish Culture, for worship and occasional other events. The museum remains closed.
Jewish community president Fortunato Arbib told JHE that the restoration and conservation work revealed some “amazing finds.”
“Inside the building we have found a gothic arch that demonstrates the medieval origin of this building, while in the community council meeting room we found some 18th century wooden decorations,” he said.
Moreover, we restored the Aron HaKodesh of the Fanese synagogue, and its decorations are back to their original splendor. But the most surprising find is the ceiling and wall decorations inside this synagogue, and also some windows behind which we discovered a women’s gallery that had been walled up.
He said the community is seeking funds to restore the women’s gallery, for which around €50,000 to €70,000 are needed.
The earthquake caused some damage in the Ferrara Jewish cemetery, and the community has restored the cemetery’s caretaker’s house, which suffered slight damage.
Lugo and Cento (Jewish cemeteries)
Despite what UCEI declared after the earthquake, the Jewish cemeteries in Lugo (founded in the 19th century) andCento (founded in the 18th century) did not suffer severe damage in the quake, though some restoration work was carried out, Ferrara Jewish community president Arbib told JHE. There are no Jewish communities in Lugo or Cento, and their Jewish heritage is under the administration of the Ferrara Jewish community.
Modena (Synagogue)
As a result of the earthquake, the tympanum over the entrance to the synagogue cracked, as well as the railing in front of the bimah; and the floor shifted and was cracked, according to the UCEI. But a Modena Jewish community official told JHE that the overall damage to both the facade and internal decoration had in fact been so limited that no repair work had been necessary.
The Modena synagogue was designed by Ludovico Maglietta and completed in 1873. It is an example of a post-emancipation synagogue that stands in the former Jewish ghetto. The peculiarity of this synagogue is that it has two identical facades, one overlooking a central square, and one overlooking a side street.
Carpi (Synagogues)
In Carpi, near Modena, the old and new synagogues, both located in the same building, experienced heavy structural damage. The synagogues are no longer property of the Modena Jewish community but of the Fossoli Foundation, whose headquarters has been in the building since 2009. The Fossoli Foundation and its museum are dedicated to the World War II deportation camp at Fossoli, just outside Carpi.
The ghetto-era Old Synagogue, in the attic of the building, dates from in 1722. It has been closed to the public since 2012 because of the earthquake damage, but according to local reports it is slated for renovation to begin in the coming months, funded by €293,243.26 allocated by the municipality.
The work, to be carried out over eight or nine months, will entail the complete repair of the earthquake damage, including strengthening the structure and restoration of the internal decorations.
The neo-classical New Synagogue dates from 1861 and was closed for religious services in 1922 due to the dwindling size of the Jewish community. It was restored and has been used as an event space by the Fossoli Foundation since 2009, but it was closed after the earthquake. It reopened to the public in 2015, after restoration work. Click HERE to watch a video about it.
Mantova (Synagogue)
Mantova’s Norsa Synagogue was built in the early 20th century — it is an elaborate reconstruction, using the original wooden fittings, of a 17th century synagogue that was demolished in 1899 during an extensive urban renewal project.
The quake caused cracks in some walls of the synagogue, roof tiles were displaced, and some plasterwork and stucco decorations fell away, according the the UCEI assessment after the quake. But Jewish community president Emanuele Colorni told JHE that, according to the experts who visited the synagogue after the earthquake, damage to the interior was actually minor and didn’t require repair.
Sabbioneta (Synagogue)
Sabbioneta, near Mantova, was laid out as a Renaissance “ideal city” and along with Mantova is on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. Its synagogue in its current form dates back to 1824, as an enlargement and rebuilding of an earlier structure, by the noted Lombard architect Carlo Visioli. It has a gilded ark set behind a low, elaborate grille and flanked by Corinthian columns.
According to the report of the engineer that visited the synagogue after the earthquake, damage to the synagogue was predominantly non-structural. During his inspection, the engineer noted some cracks on the walls both inside and outside the synagogue’s hall, as well as fallen stucco inside the sanctuary. Some of the cracks exacerbated pre-existing problems. In fact, already in 2009, the stairway at the Synagogue’s entrance had collapsed, resulting in the immediate restoration of that part of the building.
Following of the 2012 earthquake, a project for the restoration of the building’s façade was drawn up, but no work has been carried out to date other than repairs to the roof because of water leakage.
Pomponesco (Synagogue)
In Pomponesco, near Mantova, the abandoned former synagogue, which was already in need of repair, sufferedsevere damage in the earthquake. The synagogue dates back to the 17th century and today is privately owned by a local resident who runs a bar in the same building.
Immediately after the earthquake, an external support structure was installed outside the building perimeter to prevent the collapse of the structure, Mantova community president Colorni told JHE.
Both municipal and Jewish institutions are aware of the situation, but no funds for the synagogue restoration have been found until now, he said.
Soragna (Jewish Museum, former Synagogue)
The synagogue in Soragna, near Parma, was built in the early 17th century and fully restored and reinaugurated in 1855. Since 1981, the synagogue has hosted the Fausto Levi Jewish Museum, which shows the rich Jewish past of Soragna and other nearby towns where Jewish communities no longer exist.
In 2012, the walls, the entrance to the women’s gallery, the Ark, and other features were damaged by the earthquake, according to the UCEI report following the quake. Restoration work was completed in 2015, thanks to a €40,000 grant from the Bologna heritage authority.
Sermide (Synagogue)
In Sermide, near Mantova, the town’s former synagogue is located on the upper floor of a 16th century building in the town’s center. The synagogue was used by the local Jewish community until 1936, when the community disbanded. After having been severely damaged during WWII, the synagogue was redeveloped into a private house but still maintains some features of its former use.
During the earthquake, the building that hosts the former synagogue suffered severe damage. A few weeks after the earthquake, Mantova Jewish Community President Colorni visited the building together with the town’s mayor, and he issued a statement saying that “the earthquake worsened the already poor condition of the walls.”
In 2013, the municipality installed a wooden external support structure to avoid further damage. A study published by the municipality that year estimated the cost of repair at €235,900.00, to be funded by the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF). We do not have further information at this time.
Read our article about the UCEI assessment and appeal after the quakes
1 comment on “Italy: Nine years later, what is the status of Jewish heritage sites damaged in the devastating earthquakes that hit northern Italy in May 2012?”
B”H
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Yochanan