The political and administrative history of the city is told through its public buildings, which together with their architectural presences form a core of very different structures. The medieval palaces of the Council and the Elders dominate the Piazza della Frutta, while the sixteenth-century Palazzo Moroni overlooks Piazza delle Erbe. The Moretti Scarpari wing was instead built between the two World Wars on Via VIII February and became the seat of the new municipal offices. A complex of buildings vital for all Padovans will be narrated across its alternating political and architectural events.
Visitors will explore the Chapel of the Knotters and the Council Room.
The visit continues with a guided walk along the ancient streets of the Jewish ghetto, amidst historical corners and narrative stones, and a thematic route “Jewish Knowledge and Flavors.” The Synagogue and the Museum of Jewish Padua will be visited, giving visitors the opportunity to learn about the fundamental Jewish dietary laws and the reasons that have been formulated over the centuries to explain them. It will be an occasion to appreciate the differences between cultures and understand the meaning of the rules of kosher food. The guided tour will conclude with a tasting of kosher cookies and wine at the Museum.
The Museum of Jewish Padua is located in the historic center, within the building that housed the ancient German Rite synagogue established in 1682 as a place of Ashkenazi worship (in the city since the 14th century). The synagogue was burned down by fascist squads in 1943, and the building was restored only in 1998. Since 1522, in that area, known today as the “Ghetto,” there was the ancient ghetto of Padua, where the Jewish community was forced to live until the arrival of Napoleon, who decreed the demolition of the gates. It was an area of about 8000 square meters where more than 800 people lived simultaneously, resulting in an incredible population density. It is no coincidence that the houses grew in height, and the so-called tower houses are still visible today. In addition to the German Rite synagogue, those of the Sephardic Spanish rite and the Italian rite were also built there. Today, the Jewish community of Padua is numerically small but definitely alive, and the opening of this museum is proof of that.
The tour ends at 8:00 PM.
