Love, Work, and Death: Jewish Life in Medieval Umbria

Umbria was an important geographical and political entity in Italy during the late Middle Ages and was always linked to the Papal State. This text considers the place of the Jews in the religious, social and economic context of the region and discusses their mentality and family life. It illustrates the relationships of the Jewish communities with the political powers and the Church from the second half of the 13th century, while Jewish settlement became permanent and continuous, until their expulsion was decreed by Pope Pius in 1569. The author reconstructs the everyday life of the Jews within the context of historical anthropology and sociology.