Few countries in Europe can match the treasures of Italy.  Her visitors have a seemingly unending panorama of breathtakingly beautiful, historically interesting and culturally significant sites to enjoy.  Italy’s historic and cultural heritage is so rich and vast that literally every town of any size has its own treasures to display.  Jewish heritage and history for centuries have made their mark on this enchanting country.  Join Kosher X as we explore Italy and immerse ourselves in centuries of Italian Jewish heritage. In each city and site we visit we explore its significance on the region and on its Jewish history.

 

Day 1-3 Rome:  Our tour begins in Rome “The Eternal City”, the heart of Western civilization.  For more than two thousand years Jews have lived in Rome making it the oldest Jewish community in Europe.  Traces of Jewish heritage are embedded throughout the city ranging from the ruins of Roman era synagogues, to ancient catacombs, to the grandiose turn of the century Great Synagogue on the banks of the Tiber.  In visiting Jewish Rome, we will experience highlights of the ancient, medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and modern elements that make up the unique tapestry of the Eternal City.  Explore the former Jewish ghetto, Jewish Museum, Great Temple, Trastevere district, Jewish Catacombs, Roman Forum and Palantine Hill to see the Arch of Titus, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Latern collection of Jewish Antiques, and Ostia Antica, and the ancient part of Rome that includes the oldest synagogue remains in Italy.  Experience Shabbat with the Jewish community of Rome.

 

Day 4-6 Tuscany: Continue on into the Tuscany region. In Siena, considered the most beautiful city in Italy, visit the Jewish ghetto, synagogue, cemetery, and Palazzo Publico, one of the grandest medieval civic buildings in Italy.  Continue onto Pisa was the very first city in Tuscany in which a Jewish community settled around 15A.D. Visit the old cemetery next to the leaning tower and the synagogue in the old center of Pisa.

 

Florence, under the Medicis, was a safe haven for Jewish refugees fleeing from Spain and the other Papal States.  Explore the Jewish Quarter, Jewish Museum, synagogue (built in 1882, designed by the Jewish architect Marco Treves), Academy of Arts, Museum Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace (once residence of the powerful Medici family), Vecchio Palace, Giotto’s Bell Tower, and the Boboli Gardens.

 

Day 7-9 Venice: The final days of the tour will be spent in Venice, the fabled canal city, which - among its many other splendors - contains what many believe is the best preserved and most extensive old Jewish quarter in Europe.  Explore the ghetto and the old Jewish cemetery on Lido Island, "The Serenissima" St. Mark's Square, Academia Bridge, Piazza San Marco, Doges Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs to name just a few. Tour the Venice ghetto, including its five famous Renaissance and Baroque synagogues and Venice's Jewish Museum.

 

9- Day Itinerary

Day 1 (We): Depart

Day 2 (Th): Arrive Rome

Day 3 (Fr): Rome

Day 4 (Sa): Rome

Day 5 (Su): Day Sienna, Padua, Florence

Day 6 (Mo): Florence                                                                                          

Day 7 (Tu):  Venice

Day 8 (We): Venice

Day 9 (Th): Depart

 

 

* 4/5 day Rome only and surrounding area tours are also for custom group departures.