bookshelves: net-galley, autumn-2013, italy, venice, translation, anti-semitic
Read from September 05 to 11, 2013

ARC from NetGalley: Open Road Integrated Media/Mondadori

Translation by Katherine Silberblatt Wolfthal

First published in Italy as 'Storia del ghetto di Venezia'

Dedication: For Anna-Vera and Davide

Opening: "The Jews must all live together in the Corte de Case, which are in the ghetto near San Girolamo; and in order to prevent their roaming about at night: Let there be built two gates, on the side of the Old Ghetto where there is a little Bridge, and likewise on the other side of the Bridge, that is one for each of two said places, which gates shall be opened in the morning at the sound of Marangona, and shall be closed at midnight by four Christian guards appointed and paid by the Jews at the rate deemed suitable by Our Cabinet."

How serendipitous; just reached the Ghetto in Ackroyd's 'Venice: The Pure City' when I received this. HUZZAH.

This is wall-to-wall erudite writing and I doubt there is a knowable fact or statistic missing from the pages.

You need to know about the backdrop to The Merchant of Venice? This is your baby.

The history of Usury of the Jews in Venice is your bag? Then here it is, laid out like a dissertation with all references footnoted and sources hattipped.

The translation is good and I have come away with more than enough information to fox the pants of the rivals at the next table at a pub quiz so that should make for a happy reader, yes? Not precisely, some sparkle is needed to make future purchasers feel not only better informed but reached out to aswell. ( )

This is a very comprehensive look at the history of the Venetian ghetto, from its creation in 1516 to its demise. The majority of the book was very well written. Bear in mind that this is an academic-type book, therefore not an easy read. I thought the first three chapters were a bit repetitive on the money-lending focus. It was a bit difficult to get through those chapters but after that it picked up. The book gave the rules of the ghetto, some history of the Sephardic Jews, what life was like for some of the common people. They were always under suspicion as to their loyalties. It didn’t take much to land them in prison or exile. Venice was a center for publishing and thus gave birth to a Hebrew publishing center. One chapter hinted at the importance of Joseph Nasi, Duke of Naxos and Gracia Mendes. Anyone familiar with Sephardi Jewish history is well aware of Dona Gracia Nasi and all she did for the Jewish people of her time. The research that went into this book was extensive. The Battle of Lepanto and the how life changed for the Jews afterwards is addressed. Italy had to now treat its Jewish citizens better or they would take their money and move east to Turkey where they could own land and have no religious or professional restrictions. A description is given of the Old Ghetto, the New Ghetto, and the Newest Ghetto. Then in 1631 the plague hit claiming one-third of the population. Descriptions are given of customs surrounding a wedding, a burial, a circumcision ceremony, and the Jewish holidays of Simchat Torah, Purim (the Jewish Carnival), and Shabbat. Anyone interested in the life of Jews in Italy at this time should read this book. Some chapters you can just skim over but others should be read closely and the lovely descriptions savored. ( )

Présentation de l'éditeur En 1516, dans le quartier des fonderies - ghetto en dialecte vénitien - des juifs reçoivent pour la première fois l'ordre de se rassembler pour vivre en un lieu séparé. Cette décision inaugure trois siècles d'une histoire singulière. Les fastes et les succès de la Sérénissime, somptueux carrefour des cultures méditerranéennes, sont inséparables de l'activité économique, diplomatique, culturelle des juifs vénitiens. Dans l'enceinte même de la ghettoïsation se déroula plus d'un épisode heureux, qu'il s'agisse du succès des imprimeurs hébraïsants ou de l'échec de l'Inquisition à Venise. Des origines médiévales aux déportations de 1943-1944, en passant par l'émancipation française de 1797, Riccardo Calimani évoque avec force l'extraordinaire destin de cette communauté, au fil des lieux, des événements et des portraits. Biographie de l'auteur Riccardo Calimani est né à Venise en 1946. Ingénieur, historien, philosophe, il a consacré de nombreux romans et essais au judaïsme italien et européen.