Jews in Twentieth-Century Italy

Is it possible to showcase an entire century in just one exhibition?

Mario Toscano and Vittorio Bo believe so and have curated an exhibition divided into seven sections which offer a detailed overview of the twentieth century through the history, art and everyday life of Italian Jews.
A project which shows how this minority integrated into Italian society and their sense of national belonging who, went through a tortuous process which involved first the acquisition of citizenship, then the loss and finally the reacquisition of their rights.

The exhibition explores the period from the end of the 19th century after the destruction of the ghettos to the dawn of the new millennium, focusing on questions of importance for contemporary Judaism. It also deals with the Shoah: the tragic blow of the racial laws of 1938, the Jewish persecution and deportation.

The exhibition is enriched with contemporary artworks; photographs from public and private archives; historical documents and family objects. The many stories collected will make you discover and rediscover important Italian Jews from the art of Olga and Corinna Modigliani to the canvases of Corrado Cagli, to Antonietta Raphaël Mafai, Rudolf Levy and Emanuele Luzzati. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the contents featured in the multi-touch table, a multimedia tool which offers access to in-depth studies, original documents and first editions, and contributes to completing the picture of the cultural history of the 20th century.