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 Interestingly,
polls show that only about 30% of Italians practice their religion.
Perhaps their proximity to the Catholic hierarchy and
its intrigues have made them cynical over the years. But certainly
Italian laws, ethics and culture are deeply influenced by Catholic
doctrine.
Since Roman times, Judiasm has been a small but influential
faith as well in Italy.
Not surprisingly, Italy's Hebrew places of worship are
rarely the kind of extravagant hard-to-miss monument that springs
to mind when we think of "churches in Italy." Many of them actually
are elaborate, but only on the inside. Except in a few instances,
they exist in obscurity behind nondescript façades, and most
are used only on major Jewish holidays. There are dozens of
them, however, and some can be visited by appointment.
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