There are many places to pray in the city of Florence; some of them are Christian places of worship (e.g. the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Russian Orthodox church and the kingdom halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses). The Great Synagogue, or Tempio Maggiore, is one of the most known not Christian places of worship.

The construction of the synagogue began in 1874 and ended in 1882, not longer after the emancipation of the Italian Jews. The architects were Marco Treves, Mariano Falcini and Vincenzo Micheli. There are the following places near the synagogue; a Jewish school, a kosher restaurant (whose dished are approved by the chief rabbi), a memorial tablet for 248 Florentine Jews (who died during the Shoah), and the Jewish museum.

In the synagogue you can see stained glass windows and geometric patterns, which are made by the painter Giovanni Panti. Since the Torah prohibits the portrayal of humans and animals, there are plant motifs. There are seven armed candlesticks, the canopy and the arch. The central dome is 47 metres on the outside and 34 on the inside, and there are two small towers. This place has the Moorish style, and it is travertine-covered.

In the past there were three synagogues; two of these were in the Ghetto, and the last one was in via dei Ramaglianti. The Ghetto’s synagogues were closed in 1848, and the synagogue in via dei Ramaglianti was destroyed by German in 1944. The events organised by the Balagan Cafè during the summer are very interesting. There are six events programmed this year, among which you can find concerts and book presentations.

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