Siena
Jews are attested in Siena since the 14th century when they received permissions to open banks in the town.
In the following centuries despite some restrictions (recognition signs,
special taxes, etc.) religious freedom was allowed.
Jews could attend and graduate at the University of Siena.
Their religious culture flowrished when in town was opened a Jeshivà
that became a center of studies for all central Italy.
When the Medici family began to approach the
pontificial politics, one of the first action was to follow the anti-Jewish measures
of the church: in 1573 a ghetto was established in Siena
where all Jews had to live. Thus the original group of italian
origin had to mingle with the Jews arrived from Spain. Some
census of the Jews living in the ghetto were taken during the 17th
century (see documents).
In 1791 a new synagogue was built which is in actual
use.
In 1799 Napoleon’s troops occupied Siena and
gave emancipation to the Jews; after the departure of the French
some religious fanatics ransacked the ghetto and killed thirteen Jews.
The ghetto existed until the unification of
Italy (1859) and was partially
demolished in 1935 to improve the area.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The first
photo of the ghetto |
Number of the Jews of Siena:
| Year |
|
Jews in Siena |
| 1500 |
|
? |
| 1612 |
|
100 |
| 1642 |
|
219 |
| 1685 |
|
371 |
| 1814 |
|
300 |
| 1841 |
|
350 |
| 1938 |
|
200 |
| 1948 |
|
100 |
|
 |
Record
Repositories:
- State Archive of Siena
Address: Via Banchi di Sotto 52, 53100 Siena, tel: 0577/247145, fax: 0577/44675
E-mail: assiena@comune.siena.it
State Archive of Siena Webpage
- Siena Town Archive
Address: Via del Fosso di Sant'Ansano, 3 - Siena, tel/fax: 0577.284.222
E-mail: archstor@comune.siena.it
Siena Town Archive Webpage
- Archive of the Jewsh Community of Siena
Address: via delle Scotte, 14 53100 - Siena. Contact the Jewish community of
Firenze or
- The Jewish cemetery it has been used since last three hundred years and
it is on the point of restoration. Contact
for
information.
Main resources of the
17th and the 19th
century:
List of records that can be found for the Jews of Siena:
|
Births |
Matrimonies |
Dearths |
Other |
|
|
|
|
Census of 1612
|
|
|
|
|
Census of 1660
|
|
|
|
|
Census of 1685 (see an example)
|
|
|
|
|
Census of 1767
|
|
1808-1817
|
1808-1817
|
1808-1817 |
Tax payers of 18th century
|
|
1818-1865 |
1818-1865 |
1818-1865 |
Census of 1841 (see an example)
|
|
1871-2000 |
1871-2000 |
1871-2000 |
|
Bibliography:
- Annie Sacerdoti, Guida al'Italia Ebraica, Marietti, Genova: 1986,
English transl. by Richard F. De Lossa, Guide to Jewish Italy, Israelowitz Publishing, Brooklyn
NY: 1989.
- Dora Liscia Bemporad and Anna Marcela Tedeschi Falco (Eds.), Tuscany - Jewish Itineraries: Place, History and
Art, .Marsilio Publisher 1997.
- Roberto G. Salvadori, Breve storia degli ebrei toscani, Le Lettere,
Firenze 1995.
Surnames of the Jews of
Siena:
Most frequent surnames found in documents of the 17th-19th centuries:
Aijò, Armajà, Bemporad, Borghi, Cabibbe, Calò, Cassuto, Castelli, Castelnuovo, Castiglioni,
Coen Del Monte, Forti, Funaro, Gaizales, Gallichi, Giallichi, Levi, Luzzatti, Menasci, Mieli, Modena, Modigliani,
Moresco, Moscato, Nattaff, Nepi, Nissim, Orefici, Orvieto, Ottolenghi, Paggi, Passigli, Pesaro, Piperno,
Sadun, Sebach, Servadio, Sessi, Soliman, Valech, Valensin, Vitali
© Nardo Bonomi & Isetta Masliouk