This volume, the sequel to Jews in Rome 1, recreates through a register and apt citation the second thousand acts of an archive known informally as the 'Notai ebrei', a collection of as many as 10,000 such acts drawn by Roman rabbis between 1536 and 1640. The acts in this volume cover the years 1551-1557. They form a mirror of Jewish social and cultural life, including such matters as litigations, broken engagements, adoption, synagogal disputes, as well as rentals contracts, and apprenticeships. Most noteworthy is the ownership of property by women. This encouraged and reflected the treatment of both men and women as individuals. Indeed, individualism, which also promoted the amalgamation and ethnic levelling of a society that after about 1500 was notably one of immigrants, was this society's most salient characteristic.

This volume, the sequel to "Jews in Rome 1," recreates through a register and apt citation the second thousand acts of an archive known informally as the 'Notai ebrei', a collection of as many as 10,000 such acts drawn by Roman rabbis between 1536 and 1640. The acts in this volume cover the years 1551-1557. They form a mirror of Jewish social and cultural life, including such matters as litigations, broken engagements, adoption, synagogal disputes, as well as rentals contracts, and apprenticeships. Most noteworthy is the ownership of property by women. This encouraged and reflected the treatment of both men and women as individuals. Indeed, individualism, which also promoted the amalgamation and ethnic levelling of a society that after about 1500 was notably one of immigrants, was this society's most salient characteristic.

These volumes of the "Documentary History of the Jews in Italy", illustrate the history of the Jews in Genoa and surroundings from Antiquity to the French Revolution. The earliest documentary evidence takes the form of letters from King Theodoric. For the Middle Ages the documentation is relatively fragmentary and sporadic. Later there is greater abundance of historical evidence, which portrays chiefly the destinies of the Jews in the Republic from the sixteenth century on, when the presence of the Jews became permanent and a regular community was established also in the capital. The historical records presented illustrate mainly the relationship between the government of the Genoese Republic and the Jews, the latter's economic activities and their communal and social life. Some of the detailed descriptions of the Jewish population in Genoa, their living conditions and occupations, allow for a close examination of the social conditions of this Northern Italian community. For a while Genoa became a haven of refuge for some of the exiles from Spain, including the historian Joseph Hacohen and members of the Abarbanel family. The volumes are provided with an extensive introduction, bibliography, glossary and indexes.

This volume in the series Documentary History of the Jews in Italy illustrates the history of the Jews in Sicily for most of the fourteenth century. It is the sequel to the first volume on the history of the Jews in Sicily, and illustrates the events of the first century of Aragonese rule over the island. During that period, often unsettled by political upheavals, the Jewish minority flourished economically, but suffered, along with the rest of the population, during civil war and uprisings of the barons. Some thousand documents, many of them published here for the first time, record the fortunes of the Jews and their relationships with the authorities and their Christian neighbours. Much new information has come to light, and many facets of Jewish life in Sicily have been uncovered. The abundance of historical records in the archives of the Crown, local authorities and notaries compares favourably with the relative scarcity of surviving documentation in preceding centuries. Therefore, many documents had to be reported in summary form. Much new information has come to light, and many facets of Jewish life in Sicily, hitherto unknown or obscure, have been uncovered and illustrated. The volume is again provided with a bibliography and indexes, while the introduction has been relegated to the end of the series on the Jews of the island.

In Living under the Evil Pope, Martina Mampieri presents the Hebrew Chronicle of Pope Paul IV, written in the second half of the sixteenth century by the Italian Jewish moneylender Benjamin Neḥemiah ben Elnathan (alias Guglielmo di Diodato) from Civitanova Marche. The text remained in manuscript for about four centuries until the Galician scholar Isaiah Sonne (1887-1960) published a Hebrew annotated edition of the chronicle in the 1930s. This remarkable source offers an account of the events of the Papal States during Paul IV’s pontificate (1555-59). Making use of broad archival materials, Martina Mampieri reflects on the nature of this work, its historical background, and contents, providing a revised edition of the Hebrew text as well as the first unabridged English translation and commentary. Martina Mampieri has been granted a special mention of excellence in the Alberigo Award 2021 by the European Academy of Religion and Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose (https://www.europeanacademyofreligion.org/alberigo-award) and a special mention of excellence in the Pirovano Award 2022 by the Istituto Luigi Sturzo in Rome (http://sturzo.it/blog/2023/06/12/lassegnazione-del-premio-desiderio-pirovano-2022/). "Martina Mampieri provides scholars with a source of great interest, which helps better understand the complex period following the election of Pope Paul IV Carafa from a Jewish perspective. This is undoubtedly an important book that contributes to the advancement of our knowledge regarding that historical moment." -Alessandra Veronese, AJS Review 45/1 (2021) "This valuable source is now available to the many – the many including, and this is no small thing, those who study the history of historical writing for itself as that writing began emerging from the shadows at just this time. We are deeply indebted." -Kenneth Stow, University of Haifa, Emeritus, Journal of Modern Jewish Studies 20/1 (2021) "By triangulating important themes in early modern history with a rich and lengthy narrative source, Mampieri has produced an outstanding contribution to the ever-growing literature on interreligious and intercultural relations in the Papal States." -Frank Lacopo, Sixteenth Century Journal LIII/2 (2022)

This volume in the series Documentary History of the Jews in Italy illustrates the history of the Jews in Sicily from 1478 to 1489. It is the sequel to the first six volumes and covers the events during the first years of the rule of King Ferdinand II. These include the prelude to the expulsion, which witnessed a further deterioration in the position of the Jews on the island, At the same time, the Jewish community on the island reached its greatest expansion in population as well as economic prosperity. Some 900 documents - many of them published here for the first time - record the fortunes of the Jews and their relationship with the authorities and their Christian neighbours. Much new information has come to light, and many facets of Jewish life in Sicily have been uncovered. The abundance of historical records in the archives of the Crown and of local authorities again compares favorably with the relative scarcity of surviving documentation in earlier centuries. Therefore, many documents are reported in summary form. The volume is provided with additional bibliography and indexes, while the introduction will appear at the end of the series on the history of the Jews of the island.

The book describes the three major phases of the marriage ritual (matchmaking, betrothal, the wedding), and presents thematic issues, such as the youth sub-culture, gift exchanges, the honor ethos. It is based on a wealth of primary documents, mainly manuscripts, in various literary genres.