After the success of the 2024 edition at the Jewish Museum of Rome, up on June 15th 
2025 the exhibition Beautiful Ester. Purim, a timeless story arrives at National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah – Meis of Ferrara with a setting enriched by new works and unpublished ideas. Edited by Amedeo Spagnoletto, Olga Melasecchi And Marina Caffiero, with the collaboration of Sharon Reichel and the installation signed by the architect Giulia Galleranithe exhibition is dedicated to Jewish festival of Purima celebration of joy and redemption that has its roots in the biblical figure of Regina Ester.
Divided into Four thematic sectionsthe exhibition path develops through Renaissance works of art, precious parchments And historical artifactswho tell the extraordinary story of Ester: a young woman capable of overturning the fate of her people, giving the plane of the perfidious Aman, adviser to the king of Persia. A History of courage and determination which for centuries has been handed down and celebrated with banquets, disguises and theatrical performances, and which places the center role oflla womaninvestigating the theme of the reversal of the fate and redemption of the Jewish people.
“The exhibition follows four thematic strands that intertwine with each other – explains the director of Meis Amedeo Spagnoletto – First of all, we present an in -depth analysis of the enigmatic and fascinating figure of Ester and on the fortune that had in the Renaissance pictorial tradition; But we also propose a path dedicated to the party with its precepts and customs. The visitor will then find a focus on the phenomenon of the Purim Shenì, or the commemorations
of other events in which the Jews miraculously escaped from the danger and finally will confront a current, contemporary and interactive reading of the party made thanks to the illustrations by the modern trait. Beautiful Ester It will be an opportunity to bring a different audience: adults and children will be able to play to reinterpret the history of Purim, but also to deepen art, history and social history“.
Thanks to collaborations with prestigious Italian and international institutions, the exhibition collects unique pieces: come on Renaissance masterpieces as Esther in front of Assuero (1475-1480 ca.) by Jacopo del Sellaio, e Vashti leaves the royal palace (1475 ca.) by Filippino Lippi, at contemporary works by Tobia Ravà until you reach an exceptional selection of meghillot – the miniator rolls of Ester’s book – such as the very rare specimen of the seventeenth century signed by Shalom d’Italia, partly printed and partially minted, or the parchment roll of the seventeenth century made in Ferrara by Moshe Ben Avraham Pescarol. And then again, vintage photographs And objectyou ritualize yourself which tell the Jewish traditions linked to Purim and which prove to be an authentic testimony of community life.
A special section is also dedicated to Purim Shenì, Local celebrations inspired by Ester’s biblical history and established by Jewish communities to commemorate salvation from imminent dangers. Among the examples exposed, the Purim of Syracuse of 1405, lo Shabbat of earthquakes of Livorno of 1742 and the story of the Ferrarese family of Leone Vita, miraculously escaped a fire in 1758.
To complete the exhibition experience, the engaging illustrations by Laura Guglielmo And interactive installations that will allow adults and children to explore the story of Ester in a dynamic and creative way, a way of transmitting a message of resistance capable of speaking especially for today’s generations. The exhibition is created in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Rome. The participating bodies of the Meis are the Ministry of Culturethe Emilia-Romagna regionThe Municipality of Ferrara and theUnion of Italian Jewish communities, Supporter body: Intesa Sanpaolo. The exhibition also enjoys the patronage of Municipality of the Ferrarafrom the Jewish community of Ferrara and of theEmbassy of Israel in Italywith the contribution of the Guglielmo de Lévy Foundation, Hera Group, Tper, Palio Città di Ferrara Ets, Dimedia and Avis Provincial and Municipal Foundation of Ferrara.
Carlo Franza