AN ITALIAN JOURNEY. DISCOVERING THE JEWISH CULTURAL HERITAGE

The exhibition started from two photograph collections, both of great cultural and historical importance: the Hungarian Ernő Munkácsi collection containing images of Jewish Italy taken and gathered between 1927 and 1940, and the F.A.C.E. – Federazione delle Associazioni Culturali Ebraiche (Federation of Jewish Cultural Associations) photographic and documentary archive, created by the Federation in the 1920s and 1930s. “An Italian Journey” uses images, documents and correspondence to rethink the Italian Jewish heritage, part and parcel of the country’s national history, of its civil, symbolic and urban landscapes.

Why have an exhibition? These photographs are far more than visual representations: they are veritable records. They preserve unique information about places, contexts, and objects that in many cases no longer exist or have undergone profound changes. The images bring back to life a past that may not have reached us, but which informs what now surrounds us, inviting us to read the present in the light of a deep and layered history. Some of the buildings in the photographs such as the Torino or the Livorno synagogues were damaged or destroyed during the World War II bombings. Others, such as the Padova and Ferrara synagogues, were stripped and desecrated. There are also images of the furnishings moved to Israel after long periods of neglect. The exhibition aims to be an opportunity to gain knowledge and to rediscover: the Jewish cultural heritage belongs to all and by bringing it to light not only do we give a minority their voice back, but we also acknowledge the key role it played in a shared Italian identity, while returning its beauty to the public eye.

(Valeria Rainoldi and Sharon Reichel, curators of the exhibition “An Italian Journey”)

“Viaggio in Italia” is organized in collaboration with the Foundation for Jewish Cultural Heritage in Italy and the Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives. Participating institutions: Ministry of Culture, Emilia-Romagna Region, Municipality of Ferrara, and Union of Italian Jewish Communities. Supporting institution: Intesa Sanpaolo. Under the patronage of the Municipality of Ferrara and the Hungarian Embassy in Italy, and with the support of Tper and Avis Provinciale and Comunale Ferrara.