History of the Jews in Ancona

The history of Jews in <a href="/facts/Ancona/fp735qtc">Ancona</a>, Italy, dates back to the 10th century, when records show the first instance of land rented to a Jew. At some point, a synagogue was built, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1279. By the 1300s, the Jewish community was more established, and there was an influx of immigrants from Germany. Jews faced special taxes and restrictions on where they could live.
However, Pope Martin V was forced to embrace the Jewish community in his pursuit to build up Ancona as a center of commerce, due to religious prohibitions on Christians charging interest that did not apply to Jews. This created a period of relative acceptance for Anconian Jews that lasted for about 100 years, before Pope Paul IV began to require Jews to convert to Christianity under penalty of death.
The Jewish community of Ancona is one of the oldest and most significant Jewish communities in Italy. In the following centuries the community grew because of the importance of the port and commercial links with the <a href="/facts/Levant/uuJLt3Af">Levant</a>. It continues to exist today, though its population is dwindling.

History of the Jews in Ancona open-in-new

History of the Jews in Ancona