Beneath Rome's majestic Great Synagogue lies a museum that tells one of Europe's oldest continuous Jewish stories, spanning from ancient catacombs to the darkest days of World War II.

Welcome to the Jewish Museum of Rome, where over 2,000 years of Jewish history unfolds in the very place where it happened. Built within the Great Synagogue complex on the site of the former Roman ghetto, this museum offers more than artifacts behind glass. It provides an intimate connection to a community that has weathered empires, papal decrees, and Nazi occupation while maintaining an unbroken presence in the Eternal City.

From Ghetto to Museum

The museum's story begins with tragedy transformed into preservation. When Rome's Jewish ghetto was demolished at the end of the 19th century after 315 years of enforced confinement, the community saved what mattered most. The holy arches, silver ceremonial objects, and embroidered textiles from the Cinque Scole (Five Synagogues) that once stood in the ghetto were carefully preserved.

Established in 1960, the museum initially occupied a small room behind the Great Synagogue's apse. As the collection grew with donations from Roman Jewish families and contributions from the Libyan Jewish community in 1967, a larger space became necessary. In 2005, the museum moved to its current location in the synagogue's basement, where it shares space with the intimate Spanish Synagogue.

A Treasury of Jewish Life

The museum's 900 liturgical textiles tell stories of adaptation and resilience. Many were purchased second-hand from Roman nobility during the ghetto period and transformed for synagogue use with intricate embroidery and trimmings. Renaissance velvets and Baroque lace became Torah ark curtains, connecting worldly luxury to sacred purpose.

The silverwork collection includes rings for Torah scrolls, menorahs, and ceremonial objects spanning centuries. Medieval manuscripts and illuminated parchments reveal Rome's importance as a center for Jewish book production. Perhaps most moving are the plaster casts of tombstones from ancient Roman catacombs at Villa Torlonia and Vigna Randanini, connecting visitors to Jews who lived in Rome during the empire's height.

Where History Happened

What sets this museum apart is its location. You stand where Roman Jews were forced to live from 1555 to 1870, the last ghetto in Europe to be abolished. The museum doesn't just display history; it occupies it.

The exhibition confronts difficult truths head-on. Receipts documenting the 50 kilograms of gold the community surrendered to Nazi occupiers in October 1943 are displayed alongside files from SS headquarters. The Germans broke their promise, deporting around 2,000 people days later. The museum also documents the Fosse Ardeatine massacre, where 335 civilians including Jews were murdered in Nazi reprisal.

Your museum visit includes guided tours of both the magnificent Great Synagogue upstairs and the preserved Spanish Synagogue, offering a complete architectural and spiritual journey.

Jewish Museum of Rome Highlights & Tips

• The Marble Gallery Over 100 carved marble slabs from the 16th to 19th centuries document family legacies, cemetery plots, and community life. These weren't just records but decorative elements that once adorned the five synagogues of the ghetto.
• Textiles from the Cinque Scole Exquisite Renaissance and Baroque fabrics repurposed as Torah ark curtains and ceremonial cloths. Each piece represents the creativity of a community making beauty from limited resources during the ghetto period.
• Ancient Roman Catacombs Casts Plaster reproductions of Jewish tombstones from the 2nd to 4th centuries CE, providing tangible evidence of one of Europe's oldest Jewish communities during the Roman Empire.
• Holocaust Documentation Moving displays include receipts from the 50 kg gold extortion, SS files on Roman Jews, and documentation of the October 16, 1943 roundup that sent 2,000 people to concentration camps.
• The Spanish Synagogue This intimate prayer space within the museum complex preserves furnishings and artifacts from one of the five original ghetto synagogues, accessible as part of your guided tour.
• Guided Tours Included Your museum ticket includes a guided tour of both the Great Synagogue upstairs and the Spanish Synagogue. Tours provide essential context for understanding the exhibits and architecture.
• Location in the Jewish Quarter The museum sits in the heart of Rome's historic Jewish Quarter (Ghetto area) along the Tiber River. Plan time to explore the neighborhood's kosher restaurants, bakeries, and historic streets before or after your visit.
• Photography Policies Check current photography policies when you arrive, as restrictions may apply in certain areas of the museum and synagogue out of respect for the sacred spaces.
• Combined Experience Allow at least two hours to fully experience the museum, both synagogues, and the guided tour. The combination offers the most complete understanding of Rome's Jewish heritage.

The Jewish Museum of Rome stands as a living bridge between past and present, anchored in the soil where one of the world's oldest Jewish communities has continuously lived for over two millennia. From ancient tombstone inscriptions to Holocaust receipts, every artifact tells part of an epic survival story.\n\nThis is not a museum that keeps visitors at a distance. Walking through its basement galleries, you're literally beneath the synagogue that replaced the ghetto's demolished houses of worship, standing where history's weight feels almost physical. Whether you're tracing your own heritage or simply seeking to understand Rome's full story, this museum offers something most cannot: the exact place where centuries of Jewish life, suffering, and perseverance unfolded. Come ready to be moved.