Jewish Museum in Livorno

The “Yeshivà Marini” Jewish Museum in Livorno is housed in the Marini Oratory, a Neoclassical building that belonged to the namesake family since the 18th century, and which since 1867 has been the home of the Malbish Arumin brotherhood, which provides clothing for the poor, used as a place of worship since just after World War II.

The gallery is home to some of the furnishings that were conserved in the monumental synagogue that was built starting in 1593 and destroyed during WWII. Thanks to the flourishing commercial exchanges that animated the port of Livorno, the patrimony of the synagogue was very varied: the most important object in the collection is the ancient Aronot ha-Kodesh, which according to tradition was brought by the Jews escaping Portugal, though it was probably made in Northern Italy.