Jewish Camp Old Israeli Cemetery

Suggestive

Place of peace

Nice

The city of Ancona is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in Italy, at the beginning of the twentieth century it had about 1,800 people today just 400. One of the most important legacies of this community is the old cemetery, perhaps little known, but a really precious testimony, inserted moreover in one of the most beautiful places of the Doric city: the Cardeto Park. The Jewish cemetery was active from the 15th century until 1860. The area on which it extends is quite large: about 15 thousand square meters and inside it more than 1000 tombstones have been found, the oldest of which date back to the 16th century, the most recent date back to the About 1860. Currently in the park there are about a hundred, all with writing facing east as tradition dictates. Unlike other cemeteries where the available space is very small and the tombstones are crowded one on top of the other, here the space is open (the Jewish camp of Ancona is one of the largest in Europe) and overlooking the sea. So close to the sea that many tombstones over the centuries have fallen into the sea due to the erosion of the cliff on which the field rests. Another feature of the cemetery is its lawn, which has practically remained intact with vegetation that has spontaneously followed the rhythm of nature for centuries and naturally evolves. Very rare for an urban park and very beautiful to see in spring. The best way to visit it is to take a walk in the green of the Cardeto Park flanked by the blue of the sea. A walk that will surely give you peace of mind.

Beautiful place but it is a pity that the visit is made very difficult by the very high grass. Two of the three entrances were closed at the time of my visit.