Area of historical interest, Ferrara
The Ghetto of Ferrara was established in 1627, in one of the oldest areas of the city and just a few steps away from the Cathedral of Saint George. It was one of the few Ghettos to resist almost until the Unification of Italy as it closed in 1859.
The Jewish community appeared in the city long before the establishment of the ghetto, peacefully and almost completely integrated into the Ferrarese population.
Since the Middle Ages, the community constantly grew, especially from an economic point of view and under the protective wings of the lords of Ferrara, the Estensi.
The Estensi where well known for their kindness and generous disposition towards the Jews, and many of the Jewish families who were banned from other cities were frequently welcomed among the walls of Ferrara.
However, after the establishment of the Papal State, the city ghetto fell under restrictive laws. Closed with several gates, the whole area was separated and the gates controlled the comings and goings of everyone during the day.
In 1796, after the French’s arrival, the gates of the Ghetto where dismantled and then again reinstalled in 1826.
Even after the abolishment of the ghetto, long after the Unification of Italy, the area has remained the centre of the Jewish community in Ferrara, as mentioned by Giorgio Bassani in some of his novels, like “Il giardino dei Finzi Contini”.
One of the old entrances to the ghetto is right behind the Cathedral and displays a commemorative plaque on the building of the former Oratorio di San Crispino. It was precisely in this place where Jews stood to listen to the famous forced sermons, focused of course on the faults of the Jewish doctrine and the righteousness of the Catholic one.
There were many synagogues inside the ghetto, of which only three have survived until today and are together on number 95 of Via Mazzini. The building is currently closed to visits an under a process of restoration after the earthquake in 2012.
Founding different synagogues inside the same building is not surprising. Being such a big community there were different rites to be held, depending on the origins of each family.
