History of the Jews in Sardinia
Encyclopedia
The history of the Jews
in Sardinia
can be traced over two millennia. Sardinia, ( sarˈdeɲɲa, sarˈdinja in Hebrew: סרדיניה) is an island off the west coast of Italy
and south of the Island of Corsica
. Its coodinates are between 8° 4′ and 9° 49′ E. long., and between 38° 55′ and 41° 16′ N. lat. The modest Jewish community in Sardinia consisted of Sephardic Jews
of Italian and Spanish
origin.
Tiberius
. 4000 Jews were exiled from Rome
to Sardinia. Little recorded Jewish history of the early Sardinia remains but it is presumed they lead a quiet, provencial life with full rights. There were Jewish communities in Oristano, Lula, Gallura, Nora, Sinai (possibly founded by Jews), Canahim, Sulcis, Tharros, Alghero
, Colmedia, and Cagliari
. When Chistianity became the state religion of Rome, Jewish rights everywhere, including Sardinia became curtailed. After the fall of Rome, a succession of foreign rulers became the governors of Sardinia and life for the Jews became increasingly harsh. During these times Mob violence against the Jews were recorded. Sardinia is one of the few places in Italy where there are catacombs containing Jewish inscriptions. The catacombs of Sant'Antioco date from the 4th and 5th centuries. The inscriptions are in a form of Hebrew-Latin
, a language closely related to Italki
.
Kingdom of Aragon
. For the first century during Spanish rule, life was more or less pleasant for Sardinian Jews. During this time Spanish Jews began to arrive and settle the island. The Jewish inhabitants of Marseilles fleeing violence 1484 and again in 1485, and leading to an exodus of Jews from the city, settled in Sardinia which became home to about 200 Jewish families from Marseilles Also, in 1485, the Jews of Sardinia were declared property of the King of Aragon and were governed by his authority alone.
Many Jewish families lived the Sardinian capitol of Cagliari
where there was a large synagogue
. This synagogue was eventually converted into the Roman Catholic Church of Santa Croce
The largest Jewish community in Sardinia was located in the city of Alghero. Many Jewish families were engaged in trade and other respected professions such as banking and medicine. While life was good for the Jews in Alghero, the Jews living in other Sardinian cities endured increasing intolorence. This included the establishment of Jewish ghettos and special identifying clothing as well as forced baptism. Jewish immigration to Sardinia was halted under pain of death. A decree issued in 1481 fixed the penalties for an offense against Christianity and for the employment of Christian servants. In 1492, the Spanish crown ordered the expulsion of Jews in Spain. Soon after, The Jews of Sardinia were also ordered to leave. Many Sardinian Jews arrived in Malta
, Greece
, and Calabria
, Italy
,
which became a temporary home for other Sephardic refugees as well. Sardinia is also mentioned in the Inquisition
records pertaining to a population of Marranos.
The Prime minister of Sardinia became embroiled in the Edgardo Mortara
affair. A secret plot was hatched to kidnap the boy and bring him secretly to Sardinia.
By Italian law regulating Jewish communal organization in 1931, Sardinian Jews were under the jurisdiction of the Jewish community in Rome. Most of the Sardinian Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. After World War II
and the establishment of the state of Israel
the last surviving Jews of Sardinia never returned to the island. Today there is no organized Jewish life in Sardinia except for some Passover
vacation holiday packages and some Jewish wedding planners.
Today, few if any Jews permently live on the island. There is also no trace of the former Marrano population as well.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
can be traced over two millennia. Sardinia, ( sarˈdeɲɲa, sarˈdinja in Hebrew: סרדיניה) is an island off the west coast of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and south of the Island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. Its coodinates are between 8° 4′ and 9° 49′ E. long., and between 38° 55′ and 41° 16′ N. lat. The modest Jewish community in Sardinia consisted of Sephardic Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
of Italian and Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
origin.
Early history
The first recorded mention of Jews in Sardinia occurred in the year 19, during The reign of Roman emperorRoman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
. 4000 Jews were exiled from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to Sardinia. Little recorded Jewish history of the early Sardinia remains but it is presumed they lead a quiet, provencial life with full rights. There were Jewish communities in Oristano, Lula, Gallura, Nora, Sinai (possibly founded by Jews), Canahim, Sulcis, Tharros, Alghero
Alghero
Alghero , is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the sea.-History:The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times...
, Colmedia, and Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
. When Chistianity became the state religion of Rome, Jewish rights everywhere, including Sardinia became curtailed. After the fall of Rome, a succession of foreign rulers became the governors of Sardinia and life for the Jews became increasingly harsh. During these times Mob violence against the Jews were recorded. Sardinia is one of the few places in Italy where there are catacombs containing Jewish inscriptions. The catacombs of Sant'Antioco date from the 4th and 5th centuries. The inscriptions are in a form of Hebrew-Latin
Judeo-Latin
Judeo-Latin, or La‘az is the presumed Jewish language of the many scattered Jewish communities of the former Roman Empire, but especially by the Jewish communities of the Italian Peninsula and Transalpine Gaul...
, a language closely related to Italki
Judeo-Italian languages
Judeo-Italian languages are the varieties of Italian used between the 10th and the 20th centuries in Italy, Corfu and Zante.-The term "Judaeo-Italian":...
.
Medieval history
In 1325, Sardinia fell under the rule of the SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
. For the first century during Spanish rule, life was more or less pleasant for Sardinian Jews. During this time Spanish Jews began to arrive and settle the island. The Jewish inhabitants of Marseilles fleeing violence 1484 and again in 1485, and leading to an exodus of Jews from the city, settled in Sardinia which became home to about 200 Jewish families from Marseilles Also, in 1485, the Jews of Sardinia were declared property of the King of Aragon and were governed by his authority alone.
Many Jewish families lived the Sardinian capitol of Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
where there was a large synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
. This synagogue was eventually converted into the Roman Catholic Church of Santa Croce
The largest Jewish community in Sardinia was located in the city of Alghero. Many Jewish families were engaged in trade and other respected professions such as banking and medicine. While life was good for the Jews in Alghero, the Jews living in other Sardinian cities endured increasing intolorence. This included the establishment of Jewish ghettos and special identifying clothing as well as forced baptism. Jewish immigration to Sardinia was halted under pain of death. A decree issued in 1481 fixed the penalties for an offense against Christianity and for the employment of Christian servants. In 1492, the Spanish crown ordered the expulsion of Jews in Spain. Soon after, The Jews of Sardinia were also ordered to leave. Many Sardinian Jews arrived in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
,
which became a temporary home for other Sephardic refugees as well. Sardinia is also mentioned in the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
records pertaining to a population of Marranos.
Later history
From the end of the Middle Ages, no Jewish community existed on the island. However, during the 19th century a modest number of Jewish families settled back on the island. Sardinian Jews were emancipated on March, 29th 1848. In the years that followed, 180 Jews joined the Sardinian army.The Prime minister of Sardinia became embroiled in the Edgardo Mortara
Edgardo Mortara
Edgardo Levi Mortara was a Roman Catholic priest who was born and raised Jewish. Fr. Mortara became the center of an international controversy when he was removed from his Jewish parents by authorities of the Papal States and raised as a Catholic...
affair. A secret plot was hatched to kidnap the boy and bring him secretly to Sardinia.
By Italian law regulating Jewish communal organization in 1931, Sardinian Jews were under the jurisdiction of the Jewish community in Rome. Most of the Sardinian Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the establishment of the state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
the last surviving Jews of Sardinia never returned to the island. Today there is no organized Jewish life in Sardinia except for some Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
vacation holiday packages and some Jewish wedding planners.
Today, few if any Jews permently live on the island. There is also no trace of the former Marrano population as well.