Synagogue of Pisa, via Palestro

Probably already in Roman times a small group of Jews lived in Pisa. The first documents mentioning their presence date back to the twelfth century, when traveller Beniamino da Tudela wrote about a Jewish 'colony' that would include between twenty and eighty people. From the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries, the community controlled the public and official lending activity, and in 1469 one of the 'congresses' of the Jews of Italy was held in Pisa. In 1570, Tuscany Jews were concentrated mainly in the ghettos of Florence and Siena, even if Pisa still maintained a small free community, composed of some Italian and Levantine jews, which had a notable growth thanks to the Livornine Laws of 1593. In 1595, the Pisan Synagogue was moved from Lungarno Galilei to its present location. The building was restored several times, especially in the nineteenth century, thanks to the interventions of architect Marco Treves, who maintained a sober style that dialogues with the surrounding urban context. Inside, a large staircase leads to the hall of worship richly decorated with geometric motifs, according to tradition.

A tutti voi Mercanti di qualsivoglia Nazione, Levantini, Ponentini, Spagnuoli, Portughesi, Grechi, Tedeschi, Italiani, Ebrei, Turchi, Mori, Armeni, Persiani, ed altri, concediamo reale, libero e amplissimo salvacondotto e libera facoltà e licenza che possiate venire stare, trafficare, passare, abitare con le famiglie, e senza partire, tornare e negoziare nella città di Pisa e terra di Livorno. This was established by the Livornine Laws, issued by Ferdinando I de’ Medici in 1593. Anyone could therefore come to live in Pisa and Livorno, without distinction of race, religion, nationality or social background. Thanks to this edict, the Jewish community increased its number in both cities, creating places of worship and above all opportunities for exchange between different cultures.

In our days, the Jewish community has organised the Nessiah (Hebrew for 'journey') Festival every year since 1997. Great international artists and young experimenters, established celebrities and debut talents have appeared on the billboards of the various editions, participating in the thematic performances that have followed one another over the years. The ultimate goal of the festival is to explore and tell the story of Jewish culture in all its facets, showing the richness of its millenary history and the variety of its traditions from different places. Music, theatre, cinema, literature, cuisine, dance and many others are the ingredients that are mixed every year to create a festival that involves the city and the territory in a real virtuous synergy, connecting theatres and historic hotels, concert halls, former churches turned into theatres and, of course, the synagogue. .