The Complete Guide to a Kosher Trip to Bologna

Bologna, Italy's "red city" - red for its terracotta roofs and endless porticoes, and just as much for the rich cuisine that made it Italy's food capital. The Jewish community here is small but active, with a history documented back to the 14th century - and for a well-planned visit, there's real substance here.

The Synagogue - on a Street That's All Its Own

Bologna's synagogue stands on Via Mario Finzi, a street closed to traffic with nothing else on it. The prayer rite here is Roman - as at the Great Synagogue of Rome - and Rabbi Marco Moshe Del Monte, a child psychologist by training, also cooks the Shabbat meals himself. The practical tip: there's a non-electronic bell (a gold button) for latecomers to use if no one's at the entrance.

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Community Shabbat Meals - the Practical Option

There's currently no independent kosher restaurant or shop in Bologna, so the community's Shabbat meal - every Shabbat after Shacharit, no required payment - is in practice the main way for a kosher-observant visitor to eat in the city. The practical tip: attending requires advance registration - sending a photo ID and phone number to community security a few days ahead.

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The Asinelli Tower - Italy's Tallest Surviving Leaning Tower

Of the roughly 180 family towers built in medieval Bologna, only about a dozen survive - the most striking are the two leaning towers at the city's heart, and the Asinelli Tower reaches 97 meters, the tallest of them all. The practical tip: the 498 internal steps open and close relatively early - arrive in the morning, partly to avoid a long summer queue.

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Between the synagogue on its own private street, the Shabbat meals the rabbi cooks himself, and the stone towers visible from every corner of the city - Bologna offers a different experience from Italy's larger Jewish destinations: a small, personal, welcoming community.