Panel: LIVORNO: FREE PORT OF CULTURES AND TRADE



933.2 - SEPHARDIC INTERCONNECTIONS: MOBILITY AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES BETWEEN LIVORNO AND NAPLES IN THE 18TH CENTURY

AUTHORS:
Zocco V. (Università di Catania ~ Catania ~ Italy)
Text:
This paper aims to explore the dynamics of mobility and integration of Sephardic Jews from Livorno who settled in Naples, following the reintegration edict promulgated by Charles of Bourbon in the first half of the 18th century. The royal decree, which allowed Jews to return to Southern Italy after more than two centuries of absence, was issued on February 3, 1740. A proclamation that was part of a more important reformist process and that was strongly supported by the Secretary of State José di Montealegre, Duke of Salas, and by the canonist Pietro Contegna, delegate for the Jewish Nation. Focusing on the prosopographic study and family narratives of Sephardic families, the presentation illustrates how these families capitalized on their artisanal and commercial skills to insert themselves into the Neapolitan economic fabric. Among the most important activities are: Daniel Fernandez's pastry shop; Maimone Benesdra's grocery store, with spices and prestigious goods; the tailoring craftsmanship of Giacobbe Relrei and Mose da Costa; and the dynamic trade of canvases and costume jewelry conducted by street vendors such as Lazzaro Sopino and Angelo Soria. A special case is the commercial company stipulated by Samuele Faro with two other co-ethnics, the Englishman David Curiel and the Venetian Giacobo Barcuh Caravaglio, an example of the ability to interact with international merchants, which testifies to the scope of the economic activities of the Jews of Livorno. This study therefore focuses on the relationship between Livorno and Naples, highlighting how this flow of Sephardic Jews stimulated the economic and cultural development of the places of arrival. The analysis of the economic activities and social roles of the Livorno Jews in Naples provides a rich framework for understanding the ways in which the Sephardic communities significantly influenced the economic dynamics of strategic cities such as Livorno and Naples in the 18th century.