What a ketubah is
The ketubah (from the Hebrew כְּתוּבָּה, "written") is the Jewish marriage contract. It is not a promise of love in the romantic sense: it is a formal document by which the groom takes on, in writing, concrete obligations towards the bride — protection, support, respect.
It is one of the very few legal documents that, across Jewish history, have also become works of art. In Italy, between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the ketubah was often the most important gift of the ceremony: painted, decorated with gold leaf, framed by architectural arches and botanical borders.
A long history
The ketubah has existed for over two thousand years. The earliest written evidence dates back to the Second Temple period; Jewish communities of the diaspora carried it everywhere, adapting its form to local cultures.
The Italian tradition
The communities of Venice, Ancona, Rome, Ferrara and Livorno produced, between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, some of the most beautiful ketubot ever made. Large formats, architectural frames recalling synagogue façades, borders of flowers, fruit and animals, and — almost always — a round arch framing the text.
This is where we begin: not to copy those works, but to continue their gesture.
Its role in the wedding
During the ceremony (chuppah), the ketubah is read aloud and signed by the witnesses. It then remains on display: under the chuppah during the rite, in the home after the wedding.
It is not an archival object. It is made to be seen every day, on the wall, for the years to come.
The most recurring symbols
Every symbol painted in a ketubah tells something. Some belong to Jewish tradition at large, others are specific to the couple and come from your own story.
Pomegranate
Fertility, abundance, the six hundred and thirteen precepts of the Torah. One of the oldest motifs in Italian ketubot.
Doves
Faithful love and the soul. Often in pairs, gazing at each other or touching beaks.
Jerusalem
A skyline of walls, towers or domes. It recalls the promise never to forget the city, even on the happiest of days.
Tree of life
Roots, trunk, canopy: the couple putting down roots, the family that grows, the generations yet to come.
Grapes and vine
The blessing of wine, shared sweetness, the clusters like children gathered around the table.
Arch
The architectural arch frames the text as in synagogues and historic Italian ketubot: a sacred threshold, a passage, a home.
Natural parchment or parchment paper?
It is a choice of substance, not merely of aesthetics.
Natural parchment
Hand-tanned animal skin, worked as it was for historic Italian ketubot. It has a living, warm surface that absorbs ink in a unique way. It is the most traditional choice, and the most durable over time. Every sheet is different: small irregularities, natural veining, edges that are never perfectly even.
Parchment paper
Heavyweight cotton paper, with deckle edges and a compact surface. A very stable contemporary alternative, suited to those who prefer a plant-based support or wish for a larger format at a more contained cost. Here too, every sheet has its own character.
Neither option is "better" than the other. We discuss it together when we design the piece.
How the text is chosen
The ketubah text varies according to the rite (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, egalitarian) and to your community. It is always your rabbi or your community who provides you with the correct text: the Hebrew is then handwritten by a Sofer, the trained scribe who is responsible for it and ensures it follows the traditional formulas. In Rome, Letizia works with some of the finest Soferim, while she takes care of the entire artistic side.
Some couples choose a bilingual text (Hebrew and Italian, or Hebrew and English), others add a personal dedication. We discuss it together, and coordinate everything with whoever will officiate your wedding.