A narrow street in the heart of the city
Just a few steps from Piazza del Campo, in the Third of San Martino and in the territory of the Contrada della Torre, there opens a narrow and ancient passage that connects Via del Porrione with Via di Salicotto: the Vicolo delle Scotte. A place that at first glance seems simple, almost anonymous, but carries with it centuries of history, of coexistence, of collective memory.
A name, many stories
The origin of the name "Scotte" is uncertain, and it is precisely this uncertainty that makes it even more fascinating. The interpretations intertwine, each with its own logic and charm.
The most suggestive links it to the Hebrew word Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles celebrated by the Jewish community in memory of the stay in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. Over time, the term would have been transformed into the Sienese toponym "Scotte": a hypothesis made plausible by the presence, right on this alley, of the Synagogue of Siena.
Other scholars derive the name from ancient medieval terms that indicated watch and control posts of the city streets. A third, more curious interpretation recalls the Sienese dialect term "scotta", used to refer to a young girl: an echo of the more popular history of the neighborhood, known in the Middle Ages for the presence of inns, taverns, and houses of ill repute. The "chiasso delle Scotte" is documented as early as 1467, attesting to the antiquity of the name.
The Synagogue and the Ghetto
A discreet and precious place of worship
Overlooking the alley is the Synagogue of Siena, built in 1756 to a design by Giuseppe Del Rosso and restored in the early 20th century. From the outside, it appears simple and discreet, almost invisible: a common characteristic of synagogues built before Emancipation, when Jews were not allowed to build recognizable places of worship. Inside, however, it houses an elegant neoclassical environment of great beauty and intensity.
The ghetto and the Jewish community
Since 1572, a large part of the area became part of the Jewish ghetto of Siena, which developed between this alley and the nearby streets. For centuries, the neighborhood was the center of life for the Sienese Jewish community, leaving a historical and cultural legacy that is still felt today when walking among these walls.
Come walk through it
The Vicolo delle Scotte is not just a passage: it is a small encyclopedia of Siena, a place where Jewish history, medieval popular life, and architecture meet in just a few meters of stone.
Walk through it slowly, look at the Synagogue, read the name on the wall. Certain alleys tell more than any book.
Between Via del Porrione and Via di Salicotto, Third of San Martino, Siena.
