The history of the bond between the Jews and the city of Trani is very ancient. Stable communities arose here from 1100 AD. and the oldest document attesting the presence of the Jews in the city dates back to 1166.
Thanks to the Swabian concession of 1155 the Jews found a well-defined location in an area next to the harbour and not far from the Cathedral. Here arose the “Giudecca”, a word of uncertain origin, used sometimes in the derogatory sense of "Judaic" - from the name of the treacherous apostle - and occasionally in the Venetian meaning of "giudeca", that is, "definitive judgment".
Within the Giudecca, four synagogues were built, testifying to the community's importance and greatness. This importance is also confirmed by some illustrious representatives born in Trani, such as Isaiah the Younger, the author of the most ancient Hebrew code, or those who lived there, such as Isaia and Mosè, two of the greatest masters of Judaism: the first one lived in Trani in the XIII century, while the second one lived there in the XVI century.
The Jews contributed substantially to the economy of the city, providing a fundamental contribution to the commercial movement: in 1063, among the signatories of the Maritime Statutes - still internationally valid - there were the consuls of Jewish origin Simone de Brado and Angelo de Bramo. Frederick II, continuing the "conciliatory" policy of his predecessors, gave them the monopoly on raw silk so that the Jews became very skilled in the colouring of clothes and classy tailoring.
The situation changed with the arrival of the Angevins who erased all traces of their presence, inducing them to forcefully convert or to go into exile. The four synagogues, two of which were destroyed in 1700, were transformed into churches and acquired Christian names: San Leonardo Abate, San Pietro Martire, SS. Quirico e Giovita (today S. Anna) and Santa Maria di Scolanova. 466 years after the expulsion of the Jews, it was re-established the Jewish worship in the church of S. Maria di Scolanova in 2005.
The Scolanova Synagogue, one of the oldest in Europe, was built in the 13th century. Access is guaranteed by a staircase on the western side. Entirely built-in limestone, it has a rather simple facade, located on the street of the same name, with four arched single-lancet windows and a single portal. A large bell gable, surmounted by a wrought-iron Star of David, dominates the entire building.
The inside has a Latin plan with the single nave covered by cross vaults. Even the church of Sant’Anna, built in the 13th century as a synagogue and transformed into a Catholic church, has again become a symbol of Jewish religion and culture, hosting the Jewish section of the Diocesan Museum of the Archdiocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie.
The restoration works, carried out in various phases between 1841 and 1978, allowed the recovery of some artefacts of the city's Jewish history between the 13th and 15th centuries. Various tombstones from the community cemeteries have been placed in the crypt. In addition, two historically relevant finds are preserved in Sant'Anna church: an ancient Mezuzah from the 12th-13th century, a ritual object that contains a parchment quoting passages from the Torah, and parchment fragments of an ancient Hebrew Bible from the 14th century.
For more info:
Sinagoga Scolanova - Via Scola Nova (Trani)
www.comune.trani.bt.it/guida/sinagoga-scolanova/
Museo Sinagoga S. Anna, via La Giudea 24 (Trani)
