Canton Synagogue: The restoration of the gilded wood decorations

The sixteenth-century Schola Canton in the Venetian Ghetto Nuovo is one of the most popular destinations on tours of the city’s Jewish ghetto, widely considered the first Jewish ghetto in Europe. WMF began conserving the intricately carved and gilded wooden surfaces in Schola Canton’s sanctuary in early spring 2014. A team of experts from LARES Restoration Work, with the Communità Ebraica Venezia, carried out the labor-intensive intervention that has ensured the extended life of this landmark to Jewish history in Venice and the Ghetto Nuovo. Completed in January 2015, visitors can now appreciate in full the synagogue’s unique decorative features.