Italian Renaissance politics or better the politics of the Medici were as clear as sunset in hell and for those who had to deal with them, like living in a bucket with eels, once a Tuscan said. This was Machiavelli’s study ground for writing his theses, later published in books, like “Il Principe”, “Discorsi” and “Arte della guerra”.

If we look in all kind of different sources to the origins of the Jewish heritage in Tuscany, this period catches the eye. All though there is already mentioning of them in Roman times, it stays obscured in history till the later middle ages and the renaissance. We all know the immense tragedy of Jewish history and the Diaspora.

Living in the 16th century in Tuscany as a Jew was to say it euphemistic; a challenge.

The attitude of the Medici against their Jewish countryman was at least ambivalent. For example Cosimo I in 1547 invited by proclamation Sepharic and Marano Jews to come and settle in Pisa and his wife Eleanora di Toleda helped them with grants and licenses to open pawnshops in Empoli, Pistoia and San Miniato.

However, not much later Cosimo signed a law with a clear anti-Semitic tendency. He probably did this to get the good-will of the Florentines in his attempt to gain the grand-ducal crown.

One can say a lot about the Medici, but certainly not, that they were fools. Tuscany flourished under their reign and this was partly thanks to their openness towards the Jewish population, who were major participants in the growth of wealth and culture in Tuscany. Reality has to say, they were no loyal friends to their invited subjects, but always followed the political mores.

In Tuscany, there still is a small Jewish community, especially in the major cities and we can find many historical Jewish sites. The most important are the ones of Pisa with about 150 members and Florence with an active group of 600 members.

Pisa

Pisa is together with Florence, probably the first city in the Tuscan region where Jews settled as a community. In 1165 Benjamin of Tudela, traveling from Spain to Jerusalem, found a group of 20 families living in Pisa, so he wrote in his memories.

Their numbers went up and down over the centuries and at the beginning of the 17th century, there lived in Pisa about 600 Jews. In this period (starting in 1595) their synagogue was built on the second floor of a house belonging to the Serravallino family at the “Via Palestro 24”. The building was bought by the Jewish community in 1647 and nowadays we still can find it at the same address.

Marco Treves, one of the most important synagogue architects of the 19th century, restored the building as well inside as outside in 1863. The synagogue contains a mikvah (ritual bath), a matzah (traditional flourproduct) oven and archives dating back to 1660.

Other reminders of Jewish culture in the neighbourhood:

Mansion of Giuseppe Pardo Roques

In the “Via Santa Andrea”, we find the mansion, once belonged to Giuseppe Pardo Roques, who was the deputy major of Pisa, a Jewish philanthropist and president of the community. He was murdered by the Nazis on August 1, 1944, together with eleven others seeking refuge in his house, including six Jews.

Today it is a private residence, but its interior remained very much the same as during the Second World War. There are two commemorative plaques; one remembering local Jews, who died in the World War and one remembering Rabbi Augusto Hasda and his wife Bettina Segre, both died in a concentration camp.

Vitale Da Pisa Mansion

Located in the “Via Domenico Calvaca 36”, the house once served as home and bank of the Da Pisa family. There also was a synagogue located on the second floor of the mansion.

The Jewish cemetery

There is evidence, proving there were at least three Jewish cemeteries, before the current one. We can find gravestones, dating from the 15th and16th century of these cemeteries in the “Museo della Opera”. The cemetery of Pisa has two beautiful lions, “the Lions of Judah” on top of the interior gate.

Florence

Florence has a Jewish community; probably going back to the periods of the Roman Empire when there lived Jews in houses near the Ponte Vecchio.

We can read in some old documents, that in 1396 a Jewish bank opened his doors, providing loans; an activity officially started to be authorized by the government in 1430.

In the second part of the 16th century a ghetto was created in the capital of Tuscany. In the ghetto, a curfew was established and many Tuscan Jews were forced to settle here. This oppression initiated by the Medici family did not stop, when they had to leave the office for the more liberal Lorena family.

It was until 1848 these ghettos existed in Florence, but were finally abandoned by proclamation of the authorities and the Jews were given civil rights. Feeling this as a liberation they wanted to build a new temple ( synagogue) on the place were the former ghetto area was, but it took up to 1874 thanks to a generous donation from David Levi, the president of the community, they could start the project. In the meantime the old ghetto area was completely stuffed with an abundance of magnificent buildings to revitalize the empty space, which we nowadays know as the “Piazza della Repubblica”.

The new place designated for the synagogue was located in an area far from of the previous ghetto; in the outskirts of the city. After some initial protests, the community was eager to start the project with some of the best architects of that time; Marco Treves, Mariano Falcini and Vicenzo Micheli. In 1882 the construction was completed and one of the most beautiful Jewish buildings in Europe and probably the whole world opened its doors.

The architecture is Moorish, in those days a highly fashionable style, of which most features, can be found throughout Florence. The way it is constructed reminds us of the glory days of Byzantium Empire, sunrise over the Bosporus, sunbeams lightening the golden roof of the Aya Sophia. The best and most beautiful stones are used; white travertine stone from Colle Val d’Elsa and the pink stone from Assisi. A great dome dominates the whole facade with arched windows and a high rounded peak, which is completely covered with copper slabs, the only one in Florence and well visible. The sides of the synagogue are bordered by two impressive towers. Its interior is a square hall, of which three sides have spaces closed by arches, which are supported by columns. These columns have capitals carved with arabesques, on which stands the women's gallery. On the fourth side an apse encloses the “Aron ha Kodesh “(Ark) completely covered with Venetian mosaics. The windows with polychrome glass give the synagogue a very oriental atmosphere.

You feel like in a story told by Sheraszade, but than the Jewish version. It has a marble floor and decorated red and amber walls, painted with Moresque designs by G. Panti, patterns we find again on the wooden furniture, on the doors and glasses.

Behind a wonderful Iron Gate opens a beautiful path, with an astonishing view over the area, covered with exotic vegetation. In the garden, on the left, is put a memorial stone with all the names of the 248 Florentine Jews deported during the last war, between them the Chief Rabbi.

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