Syracuse preserves many memories of a historical Jewish presence.
The first Jews probably arrived in the 1st Century A.D., after the distruction of the Temple in Palestine. Perhaps they arrived in Sicily having followed the routes of the goods they were trading.
The Jewish itinerary starts from St. John’s Catacombs, the place where probably the first synagogue was located. More evidence of their presence can be found in Ortigya, where they moved in 6th Century AD. A street and an entire area called “ La Giudecca” still testfies to the memory of a Jewish past, even after 1492.
After many centuries undiscovered, traces of their presence came to light from the womb of the earth, including the “miqwé“ Jewish purification baths and ancient inscriptions.
