There were Jewish communities in Umbria from the second half of the thirteenth century, when Jewish settlement in the region became permanent and continuous, until the expulsion of the Jews decreed by Pope Pius V in 1569.
Umbria was an important geographical and political entity in central Italy during the late Middle Ages and was always linked to the Papal State.
Spoleto was a Roman colony – later occupied by the Goths, then taken by the Lombards – was elected the capital of the duchy. In 1324 Spoleto was conquered by Perugia, then passed under the dominion of the Church. In 1298, an ancient and prestigious Roman Jewish family, the de Pomis, settled in Spoleto. In […]
The Perugian statute of 1279, decreeing the expulsion of the Jews from the town, is proof that a Jewish settlement had previously been in existence in Perugia. It seems, however, that this measure was never put into effect and in succeeding years there was an active Jewish group in Perugia, mostly engaged in moneylending. The […]
