| Great Synagogue of Rome | |
|---|---|
Italian:Tempio Maggiore di Roma | |
 The synagogue in 2014 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Lungotevere de' Cenci,Rome,Lazio |
| Country | Italy |
  Location of the synagogue inRome | |
| Coordinates | 41°53′32″N12°28′41″E / 41.89222°N 12.47806°E /41.89222; 12.47806 |
| Architecture | |
| Architects |
|
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
| Style | |
| Groundbreaking | 1901 |
| Completed | 1904 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | One |
| Materials | Brick |
| Website | |
| museoebraico | |
| [1][2][3] | |
TheGreat Synagogue of Rome (Italian:Tempio Maggiore di Roma) is anOrthodoxJewish congregation andsynagogue, that is located at Lungotevere de' Cenci, inRome, inLazio,Italy. Designed by Vincenzo Costa andOsvaldo Armanni in aneclectic mix ofHistoricism andArt Nouveau styles, the synagogue was completed in 1904.[1] It is the largest synagogue in Rome.
TheJewish Museum of Rome is located inside the synagogue.
The Jewish community of Rome dates from the 2nd century B.C when theRoman Republic had an alliance of sorts withJudea under the leadership ofJudah Maccabeus. At that time, many Jews came to Rome from Judea. Their numbers increased during the following centuries due to the settlement that came withMediterranean trade. Then large numbers of Jews were brought to Rome asslaves following theJewish–Roman wars inJudea from 63 to 135 CE.[4]
The present synagogue was constructed shortly after theunification of Italy in 1870, when theKingdom of Italy captured Rome and thePapal States ceased to exist. TheRoman Ghetto was demolished and theJews were grantedcitizenship. The building which had previously housed the ghetto synagogue (a complicated structure housing fivescolas (the Italian-Jewish term for synagogues) in a single building was demolished, and the Judahite community began making plans for a new and impressive building.[5]
Commemorative plates have been affixed to honor the local Jewish victims ofNazi Germany and of theAbu Nidal Organization attack in 1982.
On 13 April 1986,Pope John Paul II made an unexpected visit to the Great Synagogue. This event marked the first known visit by apope to a synagogue since the early history of theRoman Catholic Church. He prayed withRabbiElio Toaff, the thenChief Rabbi of Rome.[5][6] In 2010 RabbiRiccardo Di Segni hosted a visit fromPope Benedict XVI,[7] while Pope Francis visited the synagogue on 17 January 2016.[8]
The synagogue celebrated its centenary in 2004. In addition to serving as a house of worship, it is also serves a cultural and organizational centre forla Comunità Ebraica di Roma (the Hebrew community of Rome). It houses the offices of the Chief Rabbi of Rome, as well as theJewish Museum of Rome.[5][9]
On 17 January 2005, thirteencantors, in conjunction with the Jewish Ministers Cantors Association of America (the Chazzanim Farband), performed in a cantorial concert for the first time in the synagogue's history.
Pope Francis visited the Great Synagogue on 17 January, 2016. During his visit, the pope denounced all violence committed in the name of God, and joined in the diaspora as a sign of interfaith friendship. Pope Francis repeated several times the words first spoken by Pope John Paul, saying that Jews were the "elder brothers" of Christians. Pope Francis added Christian "elder sisters" of the Jewish faith to his words.[10]
The synagogue was attacked on 9 October 1982 during a celebration of the holiday ofSukkot by five armedPalestinian terrorists at the close of the morningShabbat service. One person, Stefano Gaj Taché, a two-year-old, was killed. The attack was likely carried out by theAbu Nidal Organization.
Designed by Vincenzo Costa andOsvaldo Armanni, the synagogue was built from 1901 to 1904 on the banks of theTiber, overlooking the formerghetto. It contains elements ofAssyrian-Babylonian,Egyptian andGreco-Roman architecture. Theeclectic style of the building makes it stand out, even in a city known for notable buildings and structures.[5] This attention-grabbing design was a deliberate choice made by the community at the time who wanted the building to be a visible celebration of their freedom and to be seen from many vantage points in the city. The aluminiumdome is the only square dome in the city and makes the building easily identifiable, even from a distance.The interior of the synagogue is lavishly decorated in theArt Nouveau style.[3]
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| Former |
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| Geographic | |
