THE SYNAGOGUE IN VERCELLI

The Synagogue in Vercelli, inaugurated on 18 September 1878, is located in the centre of the former Jewish ghetto. The building is among the most striking in Italy, and is one of the most significant examples of the Moorish style in the latter half of the 19th century.

In the same area where the Synagogue now stands, there was once a small oratory, inaugurated in 1740 within the new ghetto, which had been established that same year. With the emancipation of 1848, it became almost immediately necessary to build a new place of worship more in keeping with the numerical size of Vercelli’s Jewish community, which at the time counted more than 600 people. The project was finally entrusted to architect Giuseppe Locarni, who carried out construction works on the building between 6 September 1874 (laying of the foundation stone) and 18 September 1878 (the date of its inauguration).

The city of Vercelli also hosts a Jewish cemetery, which was established in 1801, following the purchase of a plot of land in accordance with Napoleon Bonaparte’s cemetery regulations. Prior to the present cemetery, there were other burial grounds, precisely small cemeteries rented in various places in the city, which were later abandoned in the 19th century. The present Jewish cemetery is located outside the city centre of Vercelli. The tombs, placed in an elegant green space, differ considerably from each other. Indeed, the ancient ones have a simple shape and appear worn by time, while those following the emancipation have monumental tombs and family chapels of great artistic value, and were assimilated by the customs of non-Jewish society. Open periodically to the public. Check with the Secretariat.