The Synagogue of Siena, a rare example of Tuscan architecture midway between the Rococo and Neoclassical styles, lies only steps away from Piazza del Campo in the area formerly occupied by the Jewish Ghetto that was established by Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in 1571 and only closed in 1859. Opened in 1786, the Synagogue was designed by architect Giuseppe del Rosso as an extension of an earlier Synagogue already in existence in the 16th century. Its simple façade and, by contrast, its elegant, richly decorated interior are excellent examples of the kind of Synagogue that was built in Italy during the "ghetto era" before the Jews' Emancipation at the time of Italy's unification. Inside the Synagogue we find the Aron or Holy Altar adorned with marble columns capped by a curvilinear tympanum with the words Da Lifnei Mi Atah Omed ("Know Before Whom You Stand" in Hebrew) surmounted by a crown on the pediment. In the centre we find the Tevah or wooden podium adorned with ten-arm candelabra. Inscriptions in Hebrew with verses from the Palms are framed in Baroque scrolls along every wall in the Synagogue, while the Tables of the Law on white and blue stucco adorn the vault. The Chair of Elijah, a superb work of art with its finely inlaid Hebrew verses, was crafted c. 1860 by artists influenced by the Sienese Purist school. The visit ends with the former women's matroneum overlooking the Synagogue and protected by wooden latticework grilles adorned with floral motifs. This snug and highly atmospheric area is now used for hosting temporary exhibitions, educational activities, screenings and book launches.

Full price: €4
Reduced* anch children 6/14 years old: €3
Children 0/5  years old: free of charge
Reservations fee: €2.50
*Disabled with accompanying person.

Opening hours

1 January to 31 March 2024
Monday to Friday: 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
1 April - 31 October 2024

Sunday to Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Friday 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
1 November - 31 december 2024
Monday to Friday: 10:30 - 15:00
Sunday: 10:00 - 13:00, 14:00 - 18:00

N.B. On Saturdays and on Jewish holidays the Synagogue and the