King Victor Emanuel II granted Roman citizenship to the Jewish population shortly after the unification of Italy and allowed them to built a large Synagogue. The Jewish community of Rome developed before the diaspora and is therefore the oldest in Europe.
It was the end of the 19th century, the period of the Risorgimento, and Rome had recently been incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy and elected capital. The Gianicolo and the Campidoglio were the two hills of Rome that symbolized this achievement. The former had been the theatre of violent battles of the Republic of Rome, and the latter was a point of reference for the city’s civic political culture. This was one of the reasons the Jewish community chose the area between the two hills to construct the Great Synagogue.
The temple was built right next to what had been the ghetto inside the Sant’Angelo quarter, across from the Tiber Island. It was therefore visible from both hills. Designed by Vincenzo Costa and Osvaldo Armanni, the synagogue was completed in the early 20th century. Most of the construction is in Art Nouveau style, popular in those times. It can be seen especially in the window panes, designed by Cesare Picchiarini, a collaborator of Duilio Cambellotti. The overall style is eclectic and recalls the buildings of ancient Babylon, having a quadrangular plan and a large dome.
The lower level of the Great Synagogue was furnished with elements brought from other small synagogues in Rome, recreating the five “scolas” (Italian-Jewish term for synagogues): Castilian, Catalan, Sicilian, Nova and Italian. The temple also houses the Roman Jewish Museum, which displays important works of art: a collection of Roman silver artifacts of the 17th and 18th century, valuable fabrics from throughout Europe and illuminated manuscripts. A great deal of documents and finds illustrate the bimillennial history of the Roman Jewish history.
The ample main floor has two side aisles and is lavishly decorated. Up above is the women’s gallery.