EUROPEAN DAY OF JEWISH CULTURE: ANNETTA LEVI'S WEDDING DRESS RETURNS TO CASALE

September 6th marks the 27th European Day of Jewish Culture, and the small Jewish Community of Casale Monferrato, among the first communities to join this initiative back in 1999, is preparing to interpret the theme chosen for 2026: love, in a truly unique way. It will do so through the works housed in the museums and archives of Vicolo Salomone Olper, managed by the Casale Ebraica Foundation ETS, but above all with an object significant to the history of Piedmontese Judaism. The day will begin at 10:30 a.m. with greetings from the institutions and the inauguration of the exhibition "The Ketuboth of the Casale Monferrato Jewish Community Archives," which displays ancient wedding contracts (Ketuboth) held in the Community Archives, with commentary by Archivist Michele Castelli. The surprise comes immediately afterward with the return to the Museo degli Argenti in Casale, after an elaborate restoration, of Annetta Treves Levi's precious wedding dress. Annetta, mother of the doctor, writer, and painter Carlo Levi, wore it in 1897, at the Turin synagogue to marry Ercole Raffaele Levi. She was 22, he was 27, both from Turin, part of the city's "enlightened" and cultured Jewish bourgeoisie. Annetta was the sister of Claudio Treves, editor of L'Avanti! and a historic leader of the Italian Socialist Party; Ercole was a wealthy and cultured businessman. The young couple had a first daughter, Luisa, who later became a psychiatrist, followed two years later by Carlo, two years later by Riccardo, an engineer, and finally Adele, known as Lelle, also a painter. Parents and children were always very close to each other, often living together even as adults, particularly in their villa in Alassio, perched on the Ligurian hill. Here, some rooms are frescoed by Ercole, one on the ground floor recalling a vineyard. The hill, with its lush Mediterranean vegetation, became the chosen subject for Carlo's paintings, featuring almost human-like carob trees, Lelle's, and, over the years, her grandchildren Stefano, son of Riccardo, and Guido, son of Lelle. The dress came to Casale partly through family history and partly through a love of art. Lelle married Edoardo (Dino) Sacerdoti and moved to Naples. She had three children: Guido, Franco, and Paola. Many years after the death of his mother, Lelle, Guido emptied an old family chest and found the dress. He knew it was his grandmother Annetta's wedding dress. He showed it to his cousin Annie Sacerdoti, who specializes in Jewish artistic heritage. From there, the idea of donating it to the Casale Monferrato museum was born, in memory of his mother's family, so deeply connected to Piedmont. The dress is admired by the thousands of visitors who come to the Casale museum every year: it is a precious piece, made of ivory silk satin, with a bodice lined with the same material. Chiffon ruffles adorn the cuffs, while the inner hem is a lace flounce. But the years have taken their toll: before restoration, it featured significant tears on the bodice and signs of wear. The Agata La Spina textile restoration laboratory in Turin, in collaboration with restorer Tiziana Assogna, has restored it to its splendor of over a century ago, through consolidation and cleaning using various techniques and materials consistent with the original. Now the dress returns to the Casale museum and can be displayed in all its beauty under the Chuppah (canopy) in the section of the Museo degli Argenti dedicated to Jewish holidays. It will be presented by Daria Carmi, president of the Casale Jewish Community, Annie Sacerdoti, Bianca Gabei, and Tiziana Assogna. Bianca Gabei's presence will be particularly significant because the restoration of the dress was made possible thanks to a significant donation received from the Casale Jewish Foundation (ETS) in memory of the late Notary Roberto Gabei, the Foundation's longtime, enlightened President. Daria Carmi, President of the Casale Jewish Community, summarizes the event's significance: "The European Day of Jewish Culture in 2026 takes on a unique symbolic value, and the chosen theme, Love, is a key to Jewish culture—capable of revealing its unique aspects—but it is also a tool for building the future: a future marked by the growth and human fulfillment of all within a democratic and peaceful society, a starting point for everyone to express themselves fully and freely, with total respect for differences. This value is inherent in history, and it is with a look to the past, this time recent, that we dedicate the day not only to the memory of Roberto Gabei, but to the continuity of his work, which is still evident today." The Jewish Culture Day in Casale will conclude with music at 4:00 PM, with the third concert of the "Music in the Jewish Complex" series, featuring violinists Alberto Bologni and Cristina Papini. Admission to the activities is free. Infoline 0142 71807 - www.casalebraica.org