Vercelli is a city in the Piedmont area of northern Italy. The Jewish community in the town dates from the 1400's. At the time of the emancipation in 1848, there were about 600 Jews in the town. In the 1800's, Vercelli became an important center for the training of rabbis and Jewish teachers. By 1931, the Jewish population had dropped to about 275 persons.
The postcard below (postmarked in 1909) depicts the Great Synagogue of Vercelli, which was designed in the Moorish style by G. Locarni and opened in 1878.
Encyclopedia Judaica, CD Rom Edition, Keter Publishing
Carole Herselle Krinsky, Synagogues of Europe, P.377
Copyright © 2003 Edward Victor