Sinagoga-Museo Sant'Anna – Sezione di Arte Ebraica

The Sant'Anna Synagogue-Museum occupies Trani's medieval Scola Grande, later converted into a church. Its domed hall preserves a major architectural witness to the Jewish community that shaped the city's historic quarter.

Why it matters

The building connects the history of a medieval synagogue with later Christian use and modern interpretation of Jewish heritage. It is distinct from the nearby Scolanova synagogue, the other major surviving synagogue building in the quarter.

What to notice

The nearly square hall is covered by a dome carried on substantial arches, with an octagonal lantern shaping its exterior profile. The building's inscription records construction in the Hebrew year 5007, corresponding to 1246–1247. Museum material relating to Jewish religious and community life adds another way of interpreting the building beyond its architecture.

Context and history

The Scola Grande belonged to a medieval community with several synagogues. Conversion to Christian worship brought successive dedications, including Sant'Anna. Restoration and the opening of the Jewish art section in 2009 gave the building a new role in interpreting this complex history within the diocesan museum network.