Mikva (Ritual Jewish Bath)
A mikvah
(also spelled miqvah or mikveh) is a ritual Jewish
bath, used for the purpose of purification.
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| The access stairway to the Mikvah of Syracuse, the very same that was created during the Byzantine period. |
When, in 1492, the Jews were expelled from all of the dominions of the king of Spain and Aragon (to which Syracuse belonged, together with all of southern Italy), the Jewish community of Syracuse, in the hope of returning one day to their homeland, tried to hide the entrance to their mikvah, completely blocking and camouflaging it.
For half a millennium the existence of
this space, remaining perfectly sealed, was forgotten. Until,
in the course of restoration work to transform the existing building above
the mikvah into a hotel, the long access stairway was rediscovered
and the earth (five truckloads!) covering it was removed.
The discoverers found the space full of
fresh water up to the ceiling.
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| The principal room of the Mikvah of Syracuse. |
The Mikvah of Syracuse appears today to visitors as a rectangular principal room, entirely excavated in the limestone rock (to a depth of 18 meters / 59 feet) and supported by four pillars with three baths dug under the level of the floor. Its walls contain three side niches, two of which also feature a bath. One of the side niches intersected a circular well, probably of the Hellenistic period.
An opening in the ceiling provides ventilation and illumination, which runs to the surface next to the current access to the stairs. In the past, the small amount of light provided by this shaft was the only illumination available, together with that of oil lamps, examples of which were found during the excavation and displayed in a case in the hotel above.
Studies carried out up to now on this space
held the hypothesis that it may be the most ancient ritual Jewish bath
left to us in Europe: the period of construction suggested by scholars
is, in fact, the 6th century A.D., in the full flower of the Byzantine
period.
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| Three of the four baths dug into the floor. The water filters through the walls. | One of the four baths dug into the floor. The stairs for descending are visible. |
For what reasons did the Jewish community
of Syracuse take it upon itself to conduct this impressive work?
For religious reasons. The water of the
Mikvah was, in fact, obligated to be "living water", that is to say it
can ebb and flow without human intervention, and the constant subterranean
filtration of that depth guaranteed such a characteristic, even in the
middle of an island. This was the reason for which the excavation of this
space bores deeply into the subsoil searching for the water source, the
stagnant water at surface level not being appropriate for ritual use.
Still today, the out-flowing canal being obstructed by work conducted in modern times, the owner of the hotel has to regularly operate the pumps (obviously not during tours); if this is not done, the water that filters without interruption from the walls of the tubs again fills inside the mikvah.
Conditions of visiting
As stated previously, the Mikvah belongs
today to a hotel, that permits guided visits almost every hour (reservations
permitted), with the purchase of a ticket for 5 euros, from Monday to Saturday,
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; on holidays only in the morning at 10 a.m., 11 a.m.,
and Noon, otherwise by reservation.
The guide, who is very friendly and knowledgeable,
describes the place and its history, and responds to questions from visitors.
Given the dimensions of the space, the visit doesn’t take much longer than 10 minutes (including time for questions), and is highly recommended for the charm of the construction and its historical and cultural interest.
Accessibility
The descent to the mikvah is possible
only using the original ancient stairs, which are very deep and
rather steep. The visit is therefore not possible for those with mobility
problems.
The visit is not recommended also for
people who suffer from claustrophobia, owing to the absence of an external
opening.
How to reach the Mikvah di Syracusa
from the Algilà
Ortigia Charme Hotel.
The Mikvah of Syracuse is found on Via
Alagona 52 (at the entrance to the “Residenza della Giudecca”), that is
to say a few hundred meters from the Hotel Algilà.
For this reason, one is advised to reach
it on foot, following the streets of that which was the Giudecca
(Jewish Quarter).
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| A single bath, dug into one of the narrow side niches. |