Frammenti manoscritti ebraici
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
Municipal Library of Cagli - Cultural Centre of Excellence
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Via Imbriano Alessandri 39, Palazzo Berardi Mochi Zamperoli, 61043 Cagli (Pesaro e Urbino)
Contact information: phone number
0039 0721790450
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
municipio@comunecagli.ps.it
cagli.biblioteca@gmail.com
Reference number
BCC, Fondo manoscritti, Frammenti ebraici
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Hebrew manuscripts fragments
Title (official language of the state)
Frammenti manoscritti ebraici
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Jewish Community of Cagli
Municipality of Cagli
Date note
Bulk: 12th century/15th century
Language(s)
heb
ita
lat
Extent
94 fragments in 11 manuscripts
From Sephardic context: 3 fragments in 2 manuscripts
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Satisfactory
Scope and content
This manuscript collection belongs to the vast Antica (Old) section of the Biblioteca Comunale di Cagli, which preserves precious incunabula and manuscripts from the 16th century. In the 1960s, Luigi Michelini Tocci (1910-2000) discovered a vast collection of Hebrew manuscript fragments among this collection. The collection held specifically 94 fragments in eleven distinct manuscripts. More recently, in 1998, these fragments were catalogued by Stefano Orazi. Most of the fragments are of Ashkenazi tradition. However, three fragments written with Sephardic script were found in two distinct manuscripts. They are the following:
BCC, frammento ebraico 12.1: fragment of a 13th-century Hebrew Bible (Joshua 9, 18-10), written in Sephardic square script.
BCC, frammento ebraico 12.2: fragment of a 13th-century Hebrew Bible (Joshua 3, 1-11), written in Sephardic square script.
BCC, frammento ebraico 45: fragment of Halaka (Jewish law), namely a 14th or 15th-century copy of Tur Yorè Déah by Yaakov ben Asher, written in semicursive Sephardic script.
These fragments were used between the 16th and 17th centuries to bind volumes belonging to the Municipal Archive fonds. It is likely that the original Hebrew manuscripts had belonged to the small local Jewish community, and that some had come from Jewish exiles. The existence of a fragment deriving from a liturgical text of Sephardic tradition might suggest that some members of the Jewish community of Cagli followed the Sephardic rite.
BCC, frammento ebraico 12.1: fragment of a 13th-century Hebrew Bible (Joshua 9, 18-10), written in Sephardic square script.
BCC, frammento ebraico 12.2: fragment of a 13th-century Hebrew Bible (Joshua 3, 1-11), written in Sephardic square script.
BCC, frammento ebraico 45: fragment of Halaka (Jewish law), namely a 14th or 15th-century copy of Tur Yorè Déah by Yaakov ben Asher, written in semicursive Sephardic script.
These fragments were used between the 16th and 17th centuries to bind volumes belonging to the Municipal Archive fonds. It is likely that the original Hebrew manuscripts had belonged to the small local Jewish community, and that some had come from Jewish exiles. The existence of a fragment deriving from a liturgical text of Sephardic tradition might suggest that some members of the Jewish community of Cagli followed the Sephardic rite.
Archival history
The modern Biblioteca Comunale (Municipal Library) of Cagli was established in 1980. However, it was only in 2012 that it was housed, together with the Municipal Archive, at the Berardi Mochi-Zamperoli palace, forming the current Polo Culturale d’Eccellenza (Cultural Centre of Excellence). This manuscript collection belongs to the precious Antica (Old) section of the Library, which was formed in the 18th century, following some legacies. The collection grew with the integration of archives of religious corporations, which had been suppressed in the Napoleonic and post-unification periods. The Library currently includes 18 rare incunabula dating from at least 1476, up to 95 manuscripts, and 7472 volumes and pamphlets published between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Administrative / Biographical history
The foundation of Cagli probably predates the Roman Era. Yet, it was during that period that it became an important centre due to its location on the Via Flaminia. After the Roman Era, it retained some importance as part of Byzantine Pentapolis. Cagli was referred to as a city in 754 AD, on the occasion of its donation to the Holy Roman Church by Pepin the Short. In the 12th century, Cagli was established as an autonomous municipality. Then, its borders were soon expanded and numerous castles were subdued in order to come under the jurisdiction of the large diocese of Cagli, founded by Bishop Greciano in the 4th century. After having been destroyed by a fire, the city was rebuilt in 1289 with support from the pope. It was then part of the Montefeltro Duchy of Urbino. In 1631, Cagli returned to the Church and from then on remained under its rule until the French occupation. There is evidence of Jewish presence in Cagli since the 14th century. At the time, Jews were mainly involved in loan activities. In the 17th century, there were about 40 Jews living in Cagli. They had a synagogue and a cemetery, as reported in a will dating from the early 17th century.
Sources:
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Finding aids
Catalogues and inventories are available in the reading room.
Author of the description
Andrea Cicerchia, 2021
Bibliography
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Biblioteca Comunale di Cagli - Polo culturale di eccellenza | Collections (official language of the state) |