Restoration has begun at the city’s Synagogue.
Following the collapse of some minor wooden objects from the grating and the central rose window, the Opera del Tempio Ebraico launched a crowdfunding campaign which, befitting the urgency of the situation, raised 35,000 euro in just 17 days, thanks to the generosity of over 80 donors from Italy and overseas. Further help came from the Fondazione CR Firenze, who, as Renzo Funaro, president of the Opera explained, “answered our call promptly and with generosity, offering 30,000 euro in funding, without which it would not have been possible to start and carry out this project.” Contributions were also made by the World Monuments Fund, the David Berg Foundation and Adei Wizo, the association for Jewish women in Italy.
Ph. Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze
The restoration is expected to be swift, ending in late March. The area underneath the dome, which is also undergoing reinforcement, is already being cleared and closed off to the public for safety reasons, although it is expected to reopen by the end of the month. The work is being conducted by Acrobatic System from Livorno, the same company whose “mountaineering workers” carried out safety checks on Brunelleschi’s Dome last autumn. The team will dissemble, secure and reassemble the wooden objects, which are currently being transported to the Florence-based restorer Simone Chiarugi. The rose window will be restored on-site in an area visible to the public, who can see first-hand how restorations of this kind are performed.
The Synagogue was built between 1874 and 1882 by the architects Marco Treves, Mariano Falcini and Vincenzo Micheli, and is lauded as one of the most important examples of monumental architecture. From 1995 to 2010, the entire building underwent a massive restoration of the upholstery, facades and interior decorations, but the dome was not addressed due to a lack of funding.
