Prehistory of the Florentine Ghetto:
Highlights from
MAGISTRATO SUPREMO 4449
DEI CAPITOLI D'EBREI
(The Charters of the Jews)

· p.2--Donna Benvegnita (Abravanel), daughter of Giacob bought and sold cloth in Arezzo and Prato when such commerce was forbidden. She is sentenced to pay a fine before resuming this activity. (undated)

· p.5--Elia Ventura and his brother Pace, sons of Liuccio di Salamone, both residents of Pisa, obtain permission to carry out banking activity. (dated 3 October 1550)

· p.10--Benvegnita and Jacopo Abbravanella sell pledged items in the territory of Empoli. (dated 19 July 1552)

· p.15--Mosè Laudadio is authorized to carry out banking activity in the city of Pisa and in the territory of Colle. Legal precedents are cited regarding the Jews, going back to l451. (dated 1547)

p.54--Donna Benvegnita, daughter of Jacobo Abravanello son of Samuele Abravanello, is permitted to carry out banking activity in the territories of Cortona, Borgo San Sepolcro, Castrocaro, San Giovanni Valdarno and Pescia. It will be necessary to obtain the consent of the Holy See for her to practice usury. (dated 1547)

· p.95--Isac, son of Simone son of Abramo da Citerno is permitted to carry out banking and usury in the territory of Montevarchi. On p.96, Isac is also identified with the name "Laudadio." (dated 14 August 1549)

· pp. 131-146--Documents relating to the commercial activity of Donna Benvegnita Abravanella and Pace and Elia Venture. (dated 1547-55)

· p.148--Emanuello, son of Giuseppe, a Jew of Empoli, is given permission either to produce or trade in cloth. (dated 11 June 1556)

· p.149--The Jew from Citerna (?Isac) is given permission to carry out banking activity in Monterchi. (dated 12 December 1556)

· p.150--Raffaele Elia, son of Elia, and his brother Beniamino are granted permission to carry out banking activity in the territory of Mutiliana. (dated 6 July 1557)

· p.151--Jewish banking activity in Ripomerance. (circa 1557)

· p.154--Decrees regarding Jews in Campiglia. (dated 7 October 1547)

· p.155--lsac and Isaia, sons of Abramo, are granted permission to travel to and from Florence for business reasons. (dated 12 December 1559)

· p.164--Banking privileges in Pescia and Castel d'Empoli for Don Leone, son of Abramo da Pisa (resident in Bologna) and Matassia, son of David da Sforno. (dated 17 November 1564)

· p.168--Banking privileges in Pisa for Agnolo, son of Laudadio (dated 2 October 1564)

· p.171-2--Banking privileges in Castel San Giovanni for Leone, son of Abramo da Pisa. (dated last day of February 1564)

· p.179-- Charter (dated 13 May 1567) granting banking privileges to:
Leone da Pisa (in Empoli)
Matassia da Sforno (in Empoli)
Zacharia, son of Raffaello Beggio (in Pescia)
Mosè and Simone Laudadio (in Colle)
Agnolo, son of Laudadio (in Pisa)
Sabato, son of Ammaddio da Coreggio (in Arezzo)
Mese Rebeno (in Arezzo)
David, son of Raffaello da Reggio (in San Giovanni.)

· p.180----Banking privileges in Monterchi granted to Samuello and Guglielmo Hebrei. (dated 13 May 1567)

· p.181--Permission to settle in Anghiari and carry out banking activity there granted to Manuello Hebreo who is the agent for the heirs of Donna Benvegnita Abravanel. (dated 13 May 1567)

· pp.183-202--Permission to travel in Tuscany granted to various Jews, sometimes with an exemption from wearing identifying insignia (dated 1567-70)

· pp.202-210--Letters and patents on behalf of Jews who practice usury. (dated 1570)

· pp.211-215--"Decree and General Edict Regarding the Jews who presently live in the Florentine Dominion" enumerating the various transgressions of Jews in the Florentine Dominion (largely relevant to business practices) and restricting Jewish settlement to the city of Florence. (dated 26 September 1570)

· pp.219-245-Letters Patent on behalf of various Jews, mostly relevant to commerce and travel. (dated 1571-1636)