Jewish Medieval Museum in Fondi, Italy
The Jewish Medieval Museum is located in a historical quarter of the small town of Fondi, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of Rome, in a district that was originally known as “La Giudea,” or the “Jewish District”.
Fondi was located on the northern fringes of the Kingdom of Naples. At different times in its history, Fondi provided a safe haven for Jewish communities, otherwise threatened and persecuted across the neighboring Papal States. Fondi prospered as a commercial border-town. Local scholars believe that the beautiful building located at the end of Via dell’Olmo Pereto might have been the local community’s synagogue.
Although the Jewish Medieval Museum is a wonderful journey through the town’s history, it’s also garnered a reputation for being haunted.
The house is known locally as the House of Spirits. Although stories are unclear and fragmentary, local lore states that highwaymen, innocent children, and even members of the Jewish community affected by malaria (especially during the 17th-century) died in great numbers inside this building. These tales and others have contributed to the building’s reputation
Before hosting the local museum, the building had indeed been abandoned for many years and there have been several reports of strange happenings inside.
