The Jews in Pitigliano

Pitigliano was home to the Jews, possibly from the end of the fifteenth century, and became an important refuge centre for them in central Italy, together with other feudal places nearby, following the Papal Notes of 1555 and 1569 in the Pontifical State and the measures taken by the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1570 and 1571. In fact they remained immune to the restrictions in the little independent feudal enclaves at the boundaries of Tuscany and Lazio, such as the Orsini County of Pitigliano, those of the Sforza Santa Fiora, the Ottieri Castellottieri, as well as the Farnese Duchy of Castro.

Numerous Jewish families took refuge in these little states, where they were able to live more freely and engage in a business activity, to begin with, as moneylenders. Many of them were bankers, amongst which, notably were relatives of the famous doctor David De Pomis who was in the service of the Orsini of Pitigliano and the Sforza in Santa Fiora.

Even in Pitigliano, a group of Jews were so well established, that they constructed a temple in 1598. When, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Medici annexed the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and other small counties on the southern borders, the Jews who were residing there were confined in Ghettos. Soon afterwards however, realizing their important role in economic and commercial activities, their status was improved and they were given their fundamental rights, thereby enabling them, in this area, to possess stable assets, all of which was quite exceptional at that time.

In the meantime, a slow and constant immigration of Jews toward Pitigliano was taking place from nearby centres as, little by little, the Jewish communities where they had once lived slowly disintegrated and finally disappeared. Most important was the arrival of Jews from the City of Castro, destroyed in 1619 and of which Pitigliano was the moral heir. Other Jews came from Scansano, Castellottieri, Piancastagnaio, Proceno and then, in the seventeenth century, from Santa Fiora and Sorano, where the Jewish community was declining, leaving Pitigliano as the one and only Jewish community in the Maremma.

In the second half of the eighteenth century, with the enlightened reform of the Lorrain, the new Grand Dukes of Tuscany, the Jews were allowed to take part to some degree in the activities of the Municipality; in this way the Jews were able to have their representatives on the town Council.

Pitigliano was the last of the “refuge cities” in the area and these favourable conditions remained for decades, making it possible to develop an exceptional relationship in living together and tolerance between the Jewish population and the Christians, so much so that the small town was called “Little Jerusalem”.
The extraordinary relationship between Christians and Jews was definitely cemented by a particular episode in 1799, when the people and the majority of Christians defended the Israelites from the bullying anti-French military that wanted to sack the Ghetto.

In remembrance of what happened, the Jewish community initiated a special ceremony which was celebrated every year until just a few decades ago.

The 19th century opened with a large demographic expansion in economics and culture for the Pitiglianese Jews which reached a high percentage (12%) of the entire population.
The Jewish Community’s institutions were reinforced with the foundation of a Library and the Pro Institute Consiglio for charitable projects, thanks to the generous donation received in 1854 from Giuseppe and Fortunata Consiglio.

Pitigliano provided Rabbis to various Italian Communities and people at a certain regional level in the Jewish world, such as the brothers Flaminio and Ferruccio Servi, founders of the “Vessillo Israelita”, the first Italian Jewish newspaper, and Dante Lattes, one of the strongest and most versatile figures of Italian Jewry in the 20th century.


For commercial reasons, Pitigliano became, in its turn, the centre for the dispersion of the Jews in numerous towns in the Tuscan and Lazio Maremma. However, all of them remained attached to the Pitigliano community in which the Synagogue was used for the principal religious festivals.

The changing economic and social conditions were the determining factor in the 20th century for the slow and constant emigration of Pitigliano Jews towards cities and bigger centres, until the racial laws and persecution of the last World War accelerated the end of the community and the last little flame died with the closure of the Synagogue in 1960. Nevertheless, during the war, many Jews were saved, thanks to the generous protection of the local population, who offered hospitality, refuge and assistance, despite the risks, in this dark period of history. This decently closed the long story of tolerance, esteem and very often, friendship and affection between Christians and Jews, which constituted a fundamental value and exemplary Pitiglianese experience. Therefore, in spite of the fact that there now very few Jews in Pitigliano, the old relationship continues in other forms, from the restoration and conservation of Jewish monuments ( the Synagogue, the Azzimi (Jewish bread) oven, the ritual baths, the cemetery and the Jewish museum) to the production of Kosher wine in the Pitigliano Cooperative Cellars and the foundation of the Association “Little Jerusalem,” whose goal is the promotion of initiatives for the recognition and appreciation of the Pitigliano story.
(Note provided by Prof. Angelo Biondi).

The Synagogue

The Synagogue was built in 1598, probably on the place chosen by the first Jews in Pitigliano for their prayers. The building was damaged, during the bombardment in the last World War and has recently been restored by the administration of the Municipality and returned to the Jewish cult. The inside of the Synagogue has been carefully restored both in its structure and its furnishings. On the walls there are numerous commemorative inscriptions in Hebrew, which are adorned and decorated in stucco. The Tevà is the centrepiece in the Synagogue, while at the back; the wooden Sacred Ark of the covenant (Aròn) can be seen. On the upper level there is a balustrade, richly inlaid, which hides the (Matroneo) benches of the gallery in the upper part of the Synagogue, reserved for women.
Information for visits..

Jewish Museum of Culture

The museum houses testimony and objects related to Jewish culture. It is the entrance for visits to the Synagogue and to the whole imposing structure.

The Ghetto

In a fascinating trip through areas carved out of the tuff rock, it is possible to href='index.php?T1=8018&T2=3'>visit these signs of Jewish life: the ritual bath for the women, the cellar and the butcher (Kosher wine and meat, the old laundry and the bakery for Jewish bread (azzime).

The Kosher Butcher

Going through Vicolo Marghera and a little before the Jewish bakery, one finds the Kosher butcher’s premises, entirely carved out of the tuff rock.

The Milkve Bath

Under the Synagogue and always carved out of tuff rock, the old mikve bath can be found, where, in a special bath cut into the rock, the young followed the rites of the menstrual bath, an act of purification in the Jewish culture.

The Azzime (Jewish Bread) Oven

There is a gate at the entrance to the oven, characterized by a grill in the form of a menorah (candelabrum, with seven branches).The oven has two rooms: in the first there are spaces for kneading the dough. The first marble table was used mainly for the preparation of sweet cakes. The second, placed in front of the first, was used for the azzime (unleavened bread): the dough was mixed with a wooden mechanical rod fixed to the table by a hinge.

The Cellar

For many years, the long passage leading to a typical Pitiglianese cellar was buried under a heap of rubbish, but has, once again, come to light. At the end there is a light which illuminates the area preserved intact for all these years. On the sides the bases for the barrels are still visible, as are other kosher wine containers.

The Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery goes back to the second half of the XVI century, when Counnt Niccolò IV Orsini gave a small piece of land to his personal Jewish doctor, Davide De Pomis, who buried his wife there. The cemetery can be visited by appointment (0564/616006 – mobile. 339/7013020)

“The Little Jerusalem” Association

“The Little Jerusalem” Association is a cultural association whose aim is the conservation and appreciation of the artistic and cultural heritage of the Pitigliano Jewish Community. The following provide some idea of the areas in which it is active:
• The upkeep of the Israelite cemetery, together with the Municipality of Pitigliano.
• The collection of material destined for the museum dedicated to Jewish history and culture in general and to the Pitigliano community in particular.
• Promotion of cultural and religious activities both of a tourist and a recreational character.
info@lapiccolagerusalemme.it

Translation by Carreen Conlan - carreen@alice.it