Jews of Genoa
Confusingly, Genoa has the same flag as England.
In the 17th Century there was a substantial (by our standards) Sephardic Jewish population in Genoa: 700 people. I don’t think I have seen these studied anywhere. No doubt a lot of them ended up in Livorno but, like France, Genoa seems to be somewhat of a missing link in Sephardic history.
Genoa – on the coast in north-west Italy – was a naval and then (from 1557) banking power that aligned itself to Spain. I have seen Genoa described as a junior partner in the Spanish empire. Genoa was a rival of Venice, but was eventually eclipsed by Tuscany [217]. The Genoese were generally hostile to Jews, possibly due to their Spanish loyalties and maybe also in part to some Catholic fanaticism. Their state anti-Semitism doesn’t seem to have been in their commercial self-interest. In 1684 the city was heavily bombarded by the French fleet as punishment for its alliance with Spain. Also, Spain’s frequent 17th Century bankruptcies destroyed a number of Genoese banking houses.
Jewish refugees from Spain arrived in Genoa in 1492, but were sent on their way. Twenty-one of these families settled in Ferrara. Further refugees followed from Portugal but were banned from living in Genoa under threat of a large fine, or even being sold into slavery. Only wholesale merchants and physicians holding Papal permits were allowed to visit, and they had to wear badges. Nevertheless, petitions for permission to settle became more and more numerous, and in 1550 a number of Jews obtained the right of free residence and of free commerce for several years; even the wearing of the badge and the seclusion in a ghetto were abolished. Such privileges were renewed in 1578, 1582, and 1586, but only for a few years. In 1587 the wearing of the yellow badge was restored, but at the petition of the Jews again abolished.
The Jews were banished in 1598 but some remained. They were compelled to wear the Jewish badge unless they paid a fee. Commercial considerations required milder treatment of the Jews, including in the free harbour laws of 1648 and 1658 the Jews were again recognized, and special regulations were made for importing their goods. The Inquisition weren’t happy and oppressive rules were introduced in 1659, including the creation of a ghetto to be locked at night, and their right of residence was limited to ten years.
The Jewish population was 700. With typical Italian rule bending, wealthy Jewish merchants were allowed to live outside the ghetto. All Jews, however, were obliged to attend Christian sermons during Lent, where they were harangued by the preacher and heckled by the mob.
At the end of the ten years (1669) there was an attempt expel the Jews out again. The Senate opposed this as it was against the state’s commercial interests. In 1674 they granted a ten year extension of the right of residence, under a new charter and in a different part of the city. When Jewish refugees from Spain first arrived in Genoa in 1492 they begged to stay as they had nowhere to go. By 1674 the situation was totally different. Jews were able to live in relative freedom in a number of cities, including Livorno down the Italian coast. Genoa was decline compared to its rivals. The Jews upped sticks and left. With a delicious irony, 1684 – the year the offered ten year licence would have expired – was the year the French fleet bombarded the city for twelve days in retribution for allowing a Spanish army to pass through.
Some Jews later returned to Genoa on business. These have been researched by Rossana Urbani and Guido Nathan Zazzu, authors of The Jews of Genoa.