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KETUBAH
TITLE:
TOSCANA
ABOUT THE DESIGN:
The Great Synagogue in Florence, Italy was built just eleven
years after Italian Reunification, when Jews were no longer
required to live in ghettos. It was built in Via Farini,
which, at the time was at the edge of a rapidly developing
city. The architects, chosen through a competition, were
Treves, Falcini, and Micheli. Completed in 1882 after eight
years of construction, it was inspired by the Byzantine
church, Hagia Sofia, in Istanbul (Constantinople), yet
also shows Moorish and Art Nouveau influences both in the
interior and exterior design.
The upper portion of this ketubah is based on the exterior of the synagogue,
with its beautifully carved stone façade, octagonal turrets, and copper
dome. The lower portion of the ketubah is based on a design motif found above
the synagogue’s aron kodesh (holy ark). The color scheme
is true to the original. The landscape at the top of the ketubah shows two Italian
cypress trees, growing together on the soft, rolling hills so typical to the
Tuscan countryside. |
