Jewish Italian Heritage

The first Jews in Oria, Taranto and Otranto arrived after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The affluent community they formed was for centuries a center of cultural and economic exchange for the Mediterranean basin. Following an attack by Saracen raiders in the 10th century, the community lost most of its assets and prestige. Today, the Jewish presence in Oria can be traced through a few remaining buildings, inscriptions and names.

Ahimaaz ben Paltiel, in his Chronicle, represents his ancestor Amittai I. as living in Oria as early as 850; Hananeel, Amittai’s son, held a disputation with the Archbishop of Oria in 880; and Ahimaaz traces his family in the city down to about the year 1060.

Oria was a home of Jewish scholarship: the study of philosophy and the Talmud was pursued there; the Jews studied Greek and Latin also, and were not averse to the profane sciences (medicine and natural science). Oria was the native city of the first Hebrew writer that European Judaism produced: Shabbethai Donnolo (b. 913). Ten scholars of the community, which could not have been a very large one, fell in the massacre that took place when the Arabs under Ja’far ibn ‘Ubaid conquered Oria (July 4, 925). The Jews shared the fate of the Christian inhabitants, with whom they were probably on friendly terms; at least, Donnolo had friendly relations with the archbishop Nilus.

The latest relic of the Jewish community is an epitaph, in Hebrew and Latin, of the year 1035, but Jews probably lived in Oria until toward the end of the fifteenth century.

The ancient Giudecca, Jewish Quarter of Trani, is a maze of small alleyways that once held four synagogues, and businesses. Located behind the port, Giudecca was a term used In Southern Italy and Sicily to identify a Jewish community area. When Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 (when Columbus sailed the blue), many found refuge in Apulia, and given protection by King Ferdinand I of Naples. However, Jewish protection was short lived.  

Scolagrande Synagogue was renamed Chiesa di Sant’Anna when confiscated. Trani had a population of 200 families in 1160 and this synagogue was built 1246-1247. Inside are two lists with names of the people who lived in Trani at that time. There is an epigraph inside the building which says, In the year 5007 after the creation, this sanctuary was built by a group of friends of the congregation, with a high decorated dome, a window providing light and new doors for the closure; the floor relaid and seats installed for the choir. May their piety be remembered before Him Who dwells in the splendid heavens. The date translates to 1247.

The first group of Jews settled in Lecce during the Roman era, before the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem (70 CE) and stayed until the expulsions in 1510 and 1541. Traces of the ancient Jewish Quarter (Giudecca) can still be found in the Mediaeval section of the city. 

 They were not allowed to own real estate or engage in the higher callings. They were also forced to wear distinguishing badges on their dress. Still, the Jews were protected by the law and seem to have been free from persecutions. When the last Count of Lecce, Giannantonio del Balzo-Orsini, died in 1463 and the city came under the direct rule of Ferdinand the 1st, King of Aragon, there was an outbreak of violence against the Jews. During this time the ghetto was sacked, a number of Jews were killed.  On March 21st, 1495, a mob invaded the ghetto and set it on fire, killing a great number of Jews. The few that survived scattered throughout the kingdom. The synagogue was demolished and a church erected on its site. The Jews never returned to Lecce, as they were consequently expelled from the whole Neapolitan kingdom in 1540.

Lecce was the birthplace of the grammarian Abraham de Balmes ben Meïr (1450-1523).

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Otranto, Oria, Bari, Trani, Manduria, Venosa, Sannicandro Garganico, Brindisi.

Between the 9th and 12th centuries, Otranto was one of the main centers of Jewish learning in Apulia. As the Jewish community prospered thanks to commerce and entrepreneurial ventures, scholars gave lasting contributions to the study of the Bible, the Mishnah and the Talmud of Babylon.

At the time of the forced conversion under the Byzantine emperor Romanus I, Lecapenus, a Jewish communal leader committed suicide, one was strangled, and one died in prison. When Benjamin of Tudela visited Otranto in about 1159, he found about 500 Jews there. It was considered one of the most important rabbinical centers in Europe. In the Sefer ha-Yashar, Jacob Tam (12th century) quotes an old saying paraphrasing Isaiah 2:3: “For out of Bari shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Otranto.” As the Turks besieged Otranto in 1481, the Jews contributed 3,000 ducats for the defense of the town. In 1510, with their mandated expulsion from the kingdom of Naples, the Jews fled from Otranto. A number of them settled in Salonika, where they founded their own synagogue.

The Basilicata region is famous for its ancient buildings, in particular the prehistoric settlements at Matera, which have been declared a World Heritage Site.

Some of our pages mention the Jewish presence since Roman times, in various countries conquered by Rome 2,000 years ago, including France and Spain. In the Italian region of Basilicata, the Jewish presence also dates back to this period, as attested by Hebrew inscriptions and a menorah carved in the catacombs of Venosa.

The Jewish presence in Venosa dates back to Roman times. Hebrew inscriptions have been found on site probably dating from the 3rd century.

Funeral inscriptions present in Jewish catacombs have been discovered over time by archeological endeavors. These finds so far attest to 75 inscriptions present, but access to the catacombs has been complicated for a long time.

In particular at such sites to be seen in Venosa, there is a fresco adorning an arcosolium showing a menorah in the center which is surrounded by different religious elements such as an etrog, a lulav, a vial of oil and a shofar.

The chronicles of Ahimaaz ben Paltiel evoke the presence of an emissary from Jerusalem present in the 11th century in Venosa, land of numerous encounters and cultural exchanges. There, he met the Talmudist and poet Silano.

Following the conquest of the Normans in 1041, Venosa lost its status as a center of Jewish studies.

In 2007, the Jewish catacombs of Venosa were opened to the public after major works were carried out. An official ceremony with local and regional authorities, as well as a conference at Pirro del Balzo Castle accompanied this event.

In the ninth century the miracle-worker *Aaron of Baghdad visited Bari. The names of scholars who taught at the local rabbinical academy in the tenth and eleventh centuries are recorded, including Moses Calfo, who is mentioned in the Arukh of *Nathan b. Jehiel . Legend talks of "four rabbis," who sailed from Bari in 972, were captured at sea by Saracen raiders, and sold into slavery in Spain and North Africa; after being ransomed, they founded famous talmudic academies (see *Moses b. Hanokh ). The legend at least indicates that Bari was known as a center of talmudic learning. This is confirmed by the adage cited by Rabbenu *Tam in the 12th century: "From Bari shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Otranto" (a paraphrase of Isa. 2:3). The theological teaching of the Bari schools evidently attained a wide influence: Andrea, archbishop of Bari (d. 1078), actually became converted to Judaism (see *Obadiah the Proselyte).

The Jews of Bari underwent a number of vicissitudes. They were included in the edicts of forced conversion issued by the Byzantine emperors in the ninth and tenth centuries (see *anusim ). In about 932, the Jewish quarter was destroyed by mob violence and several Jews were killed. Between 1068 and 1465 the Jews in Bari suffered from the rival claims of the king and the archbishop on taxes levied on the Jews in the city. The Jews in Bari were also victims of the campaign to convert Jews to Christianity initiated by Charles of Anjou in 1290; in 1294, 72 families were forced to adopt Christianity, but continued to live in Bari as neofiti (see *Crypto Jews ). There followed a century and a half of tranquility until the Jewish quarter was again attacked in 1463. A notable figure in this period is the physician David Kalonymus of Bari. In 1479 David Kalonymus and his family were offered Neapolitan citizenship along with exemption from commercial taxes, and in 1498 he requested the Sforza Duke of Bari to confer on him the same special rights in Bari as he already possessed in Naples. In 1495, during the unrest that accompanied the French invasion, Jewish property worth 10,000 ducats was pillaged. 

Unlike other cities in the region of Apulia, there are now very few traces of the Jewish presence in Bari, although we know that the community was very developed. The city was, in the 12th century, a recognized center of Talmudic studies.

The  Via della Sinagoga, which housed the place of worship of the community – now renamed Via Sabino attests of the importance of the Jewish life in Bari.

In the  Provincial Museum of the city, you can gaze ar steles of the Jewish cemetery which is located in the district of San Lorenzo. This cemetery probably dates back to the 8th century, and was therefore one of the oldest in the region.

Note that in 1943 a number of Jews from Italy and Yugoslavia found refuge in Bari. At the end of the Second World War, a refugee camp was established there. Then, after 1945, the surroundings of Bari were a point of “illegal” departure towards Palestine.

La comunità ebraica di Otranto, nel Medioevo, era nota in tutto il Mediterraneo, poiché la ricchezza economica e culturale acquisita dalla comunità israelita permise di insediare nella città una importante scuola per lo studio del Talmud. Il suo prestigio di questa scuola talmudica fu tale che sarà coniato il detto – che ancora nel XII secolo correva in Francia  – «da Bari uscirà la Legge e la parola del Signore da Otranto», che parafrasava un verso del profeta Isaia. Nel IX secolo uno stuolo di poeti composero in ebraico dei componimenti liturgici. Fra questi vi è Menachem Corizzi da Otranto. La passione per la metrica religiosa si irradiò pian piano verso altri centri italiani, a Roma e a Lucca. All’inizio del XIII secolo vi viveva il poeta ebreo Anatoli, che compose uno splendido dialogo tra il corpo e la mente dopo la morte. L’11 agosto del 1480 i Turchi guidati da Ahmet Ghedik Pascià assalirono Otranto e la conquistarono. Seguirono deportazioni e uccisioni, durante le quali furono decapitati ottocento cittadini sul colle della Minerva, ricordati oggi come i santi cristiani Martiri di Otranto. Fra le vittime dell’eccidio turco però vi furono anche numerosi Ebrei, come riporta una cronaca dell’epoca, che così commenta: “li preiti e li zudei statim li amazorno” (“i preti e i giudei li ammazzarono subito”). Con l’avvento dell’imperatore spagnolo Carlo VIII si aprì una fase ostile e persecutoria contro la presenza ebraica. Nel Salento cominciarono a soffiare venti contrari a danno degli ebrei accusati di usura. I primi episodi di violenza e saccheggio si registrano nel 1463 nella giudecca di Lecce. 

A Jewish community has existed in Taranto, Italy, since at least the 3rd century, with evidence found in tombstone inscriptions and historical records. The community thrived, particularly in the Middle Ages, becoming a significant center for Jewish life in Southern Italy .  Taranto was the only Ancient Greek colony in Apulia, with a well shielded gulf and port on the Ionian Sea. According to tradition, the first Jews were deported to Taranto by Titus after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. A large Jewish community lived there for a long time, also thanks to the thriving port trade. Over the centuries there were several crucial moments: the Saracen raids (839 e 925) the anti-Jewish persecutions which led to the conversions of many families under Charles the 2nd Anjou (1290-1294). After a period when Jewish lenders were favoured under the Orsini Del Balzo Princes of Taranto, the town passed to King Ferrante I (aka Ferdinand the 1st) of Naples (1463) who introduced mandatory signs sewn onto the clothes of Jews and forced them to live in separate quarters where he forbade paintings of images. Fifteen-forty one led to the general expulsions. Currently 26 funeral inscriptions in Hebrew, Latin and Greek bear witness to the presence of Jews. They were found in the late 19th century in the Montedoro area during renovation work. The epigraphs date from the 4th-5th centuries until the 10th century, when the city was destroyed by the Saracens in 928. They are in the MArTA National Archaeological Museum. Hebrew manuscripts copied in the town, many on medical subjects, are now preserved in European libraries. 

Official documents from the Western Roman emperor Honorius in the year 398, confirm there were several Jewish communities in Apulia. The many tombstone inscriptions, some entirely or partially written in Hebrew, found in Trani, Taranto, Matera, Bari, Brindisi, Otranto, and Oria shows the large number of Jews settled in the region, and the usage of Hebrew. Inscriptions found in the town of Venosa (nowadays in Basilicata but previously in Apulia) mention the communal organization of Jewish life in southern Italy. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the region of Apulia fell under the rule of the Byzantine Empire and during the 9th century. This opened a troubling time of zealous Christian missionary effort for the region's Jews. In 875 and 925, Arab armies invaded and occupied parts of Apulia, resulting in much misery for the Jews, which forced many of them to flee for their lives. The Jewish court physician Shabbethai Donnolo lived Calabria/Apulia area in the tenth century and wrote of these times.

During the early period of the Middle Ages, Calabria, Basilicata and Apulia forming the Catepanate of Italy were under Byzantine rule. By the 11th century, the region was again a peaceful haven for the Jews. During this time many Apulian Torah scholars had regular contact with the Rabbinic academies of the east. The Chronicle of Ahimaaz in 1054 contains many details on Apulian Jewry. Apulian poets of the time include Shephatiah of Oria who wrote the poem "Yisrael Nosha" which is included in the Neilah service on the Day of Atonement in the Ashkenazi liturgy.[2] Amittai in Oria, and Silano in Venosa were also well-known poets. Torah scholars are mentioned from the middle of the tenth century in Bari, Oria, and Otranto. The Josippon chronicle, composed sometime in the mid-tenth century, is a product of the southern Italian Jewish/Hebrew culture. The south Italian Jewry contributed to the early Ashkenazi culture in central Europe. The Jews of France and Germany recognized the scholarship of the Apulian center as late as the 12th century. This is acknowledged in a quote by the French Tosafist, Jacob ben Meir: "For out of Bari goes forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Otranto" Other rabbinic scholars of Apulia in the 13th century include Isaiah ben Mali of Trani (the Elder), his grandson Isaiah ben Elijah of Trani, and Solomon ben ha-Yatom. The lives of the Jews in Apulia continued to be tolerable until the end of the 13th century. Jews in Apulia owned land, were employed in crafts, such as the dyeing industry. Thomas Aquinas, a native of southern Italy, refers to the employment of the Jews in southern Italy in 1274, saying: "it would do better to compel the Jews to work for their living, as is done in parts of Italy, than to allow them… to grow rich by usury."

Toleration of the Jews in Apulia came to end when Apulia, as well as other parts of southern Italy, fell to the Kingdom of Naples. King Charles II of Anjou ordered the forced baptism of all Jews in his realm. Many Apulian Jews fled to neighboring central Italy and northern Italy. Many also moved to the Germanic areas of central Europe. All synagogues at that time were converted into Roman Catholic churches and all Torah academies were closed. Many of the Jews who had been coerced into Christianity, still practised the Jewish faith in secret. These Jews became the historic population of Neofiti. These Crypto-Jews, also known in Hebrew as Anusim, were frequently compelled to live in special quarters known as Giudecca. They were regarded by the local Catholic population as heretics. In 1311 King Robert directed that those who had either secretly practised or relapsed back into Judaism should be severely punished; the order was renewed in 1343 by Joanna I. Both Jews and Neofiti who had again settled in Apulia in the 15th century were subjected to mob attacks occurring in Bari and Lecce in 1463. The invasion of Otranto by the Ottoman Turks in 1480 led to a large massacre of Jews who lived in the area.

In 1492, after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, many Spanish and Portuguese Jews settled in Apulia. This led to a small revival of Jewish life in the area. Isaac Abrabanel lived in Apulia at this time after leaving Spain. However, the revival was short lived. In 1495, the Kingdom of Naples fell to the French and King Charles VIII ordered more restrictions to be placed on the Jews of Apulia. Also in 1495, the Jews Lecce were massacred and the Jewish quarter was burned to the ground.[3] Lecce was the birthplace of Abraham de Balmes a noted Hebrew expert. One Balmes' pupils was Daniel Bomberg.

Among the privileges granted the city council of Martina Franca (Taranto) in 1495, King Frederick of Aragon forbade Crypto-Jews and Neofiti to press charges against those who robbed them (probably during the riots of 1494–1495 during the French invasion of the Kingdom of Naples) and prohibited their coming to live in that city. Also in 1495, the Jews of Martina Franca were massacred.

When Apulia fell to the Spanish in 1510, the beginning of the end was in sight for the Apulian Jews. The Spanish Inquisition reached Apulia because of the large number of Jews, Crypto-Jews and Neofiti living in the area. A series of expulsions started 1511. Most Jews and Neofiti were expelled and or tortured to death. Most Jewish property was seized and all remaining synagogues were rededicated as Catholic churches.

By 1540, the last expulsion finally ended Jewish life in Apulia. Most remaining Crypto-Jews were driven so deep underground that their presence finally came to an end as well. Some of the Apulian Jewish refugees fled north. However, most of them settled in Greece or the Aegean islands. The Apulian Jews set up new congregations in Corfu, Arta and Salonika