From Mass Conversion to Expulsion: Jews and New Christians in the Kingdom of Naples (1492-1541) (Studies in Medieval Religions and Cultures)

This book explores the events that marked the last decades of Jewish presence in the kingdom of Naples from 1492 to 1541.It employs a comparative approach in the examination of the mass conversion of the Jews in the Kingdom of Naples in 1495, the failed attempt to establish a Spanish-style inquisition, and the expulsions of 1510 and 1541.By relying on a variety of sources, including Hebrew literary works and rabbinic Responsa, this study sheds new light on the reception of the refugees of 1492, the evolvement of the political and military crisis of 1495, the attacks on the Jewish communities, and Jewish reaction, all aspects that have never before been subject to systematic analysis.The Spanish victory of 1503 and the transformation of southern Italy into a Spanish-ruled dominion bring this discussion closer to the Iberian model of mass conversions and expulsions.The unprecedented expulsion of the New Christians along with the Jews offers a unique opportunity for drawing a parallel wit