Tuscan Tour Guide - Paul Costa

Judaism in Florence

Florence has one of the largest European synagogues. It was completed in 1882 after Italy's unification and Jewish emancipation. It survived bombings and mining during WWII. The world's oldest Jewish diaspora has roots in Italy in 161 BCE. Since then, Judaism spread across Italy's peninsula and has had a very profound, important & complex historical impact in Tuscany & Florence. Email me at [email protected] for more details regarding my Jewish tour of Florence that will intrigue any traveler,the regardless of religious belief. We'll see the location of where the Jewish Ghetto once stood and discuss how Roman Emperors, Popes, the Medici, banking, pawning, money lending, art, medicine, Mussolini, WWII and the unification of Italy all fit in with Jewish history of Florence.

Was lucky enough to get a very rare peak of the off limits Sacristy & Chapel of Saint Cecilia in the Carmelite Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in the Oltrarno side of Florence! The church is primarily famous for the Brancacci Chapel frescoes begun Masolino & Masaccio in the 1420s, later completed by the Carmelite "bastard" monk Filippino Lippi in the 1480s

The calm before the storm..... peaceful 8am