Sinagoga Scolanova

Scolanova is a medieval synagogue in Trani's first Giudecca, later converted into the church of Santa Maria in Scolanova and returned to Jewish use in 2005. It is the only one of Trani's four medieval synagogues to resume its original religious function.

Why it matters

The building preserves a rare continuity across centuries of religious change. Its medieval Jewish origins remain legible in the hall's form and in a stone aedicule for the Torah ark, even after the synagogue was converted for Christian worship around 1380. Its return to Jewish use in 2005 renewed the building's original role.

What to notice

The rectangular hall is raised above street level and reached by an exterior staircase on its south side. Thick stone walls and small windows give the interior a restrained character. On the east wall, a stone aedicule marks the former place of the aron, the Torah ark. A cavity in the basement has been interpreted as possibly the remains of a mikveh, or ritual bath; an upper level may have served as a women's gallery.

Context and history

Scolanova was one of four synagogues in the medieval Giudecca of Trani. In the late fourteenth century, the synagogue was converted for Christian worship and became Santa Maria in Scolanova. The Jewish community's return in 2005 restored its use as a synagogue. The building is now managed by the Jewish Community of Naples.