Jewish Bologna and Modena or Ferrara – Emilia-Romagna, Italy

EXPERIENCE:

Enjoy a tour with your ultimate Jewish history guide of Bologna and Ferrara or Modena! Jews form part and parcel of the fabric of Italian society and have been in Italy for twenty-two centuries. Throughout history Jews have been expelled over and over again, marginalized and made to live in ghettos, including in Bologna where they were expelled from twice. But they were welcomed by the Estense of Ferrara, where there is a large thriving community. In this tour, I will give some background starting from the Roman era, and explain how they are well integrated today. In the morning we will visit the Jewish Ghetto and Museum, and then we will go to Ferrara or Modena by train, where we visit the Jewish area and in Ferrera the Meis (the ltalian museum of Judaism and the Shoah). The tour is not available on Saturday due to the museums’ closure. Itinerary Piazza Maggiore with Palazzo re Enzo, Palazzo Accursio, and the Notary building. Then, we will walk along the Paviglione to the Archiginasio, visit San Petronio Basilica, the two towers, the old Jewish Ghetto and Museum, Santo Stefano – known as the seven churches – and Santo Stefano square with the house of the Jewish-Sforno family. * I will contact the 19th-century synagogue at 9, via dei Gombruti with its Star-of-David Rose window to see if it is visitable, the Bocchi building with the only Jewish inscription in Europe. The synagogue is not visitable on Sundays. Meeting Point + Tour Duration Duration: 6 hours The duration is flexible depending on the amount of time we spend in the museums, and it includes the journey to Ferrara. It will also depend on the time spent for lunch. Transportation: Walking tour inside Bologna. Train to Ferrara or Modena. Bus/taxi and some walking in Ferrara.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Venture into the ghettos of Ferrara, Modena or Bologna
Learn about discrimination but also Judaism
Unlock the secrets of Emilia’s Jewish history
Discover the mystique of Ferrara, dubbed the first renaissance city

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