The Jewish cemetery of Sabbioneta is outside the Renaissance city walls, beyond the Porta Imperiale (The Imperial Gates). The whereabouts of the previous burial grounds is not known; a document from 1788 remains, the terminus ante quem as far as this cemetery. At that time, it was a long rectangular plot of land, belonging to the Fortis, a local Jewish family; in 1806 a similar-sized piece of land next to it was added. There were no subsequent changes made to the surface area of the cemetery, but various modifications have been made to the boundary wall and entrance gate.
Several gravestones were destroyed or stolen 0when the cemetery was abandoned, after the Jewish community died out in the early twentieth century; however, some graves may have never marked with tombstones.
After restoration work, the few remaining stones were grouped in a corner, or attached to the perimeter wall. Most of them lack any special decorative features, and bear inscriptions only in Hebrew; very few have Italian translations, which began to appear in the second half of the nineteenth century.
The last gravestone dates back to 1937: engineer Vittorio Forti, who lived in Milan, but had been born in Sabbioneta, wanted to be buried in his birth place.
Via Borgofreddo
Tours by booking
For visits, information and bookings:
Infopoint Sabbioneta – Associazione Pro Loco
Via Teatro Olimpico, 2 – 46018 Sabbioneta MN
Tel. + 39 0375 52039
Email: info@turismosabbioneta.org
https://www.turismosabbioneta.org/it/
