Scuola levantina di Venezia
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
Renato Maestro Library and Archive
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Cannaregio 2899, 30121 Venice
Contact information: phone number
0039 041718833
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
renatomaestro@libero.it
Reference number
Scuola levantina di Venezia
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Levantine synagogue of Venice
Title (official language of the state)
Scuola levantina di Venezia
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Università degli ebrei di Venezia
Date note
1650s/1920s
Language(s)
ita
heb
Extent
4 folders
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Scuola levantina di Venezia fonds is part of a larger fonds called Scuole, fraterne e sovvegni (synagogues, fraternities and brotherhoods), which comprises documentation produced by different Jewish organisations settled in Venice, including synagogues, fraternities and brotherhoods belonging to four communities: the Levantine, the Italian, the Spanish and the Canton Jewish communities. The Scuola levantina was founded in the mid-16th century by Sephardic Jews coming from the Ottoman Empire. However, this fonds only comprises documentation dating back to the second half of the 17th century. It is a small fonds, containing only four folders with documentation of fiscal and accounting nature, related to the collection of taxes and the administration of donations and legacies.
Archival history
The Biblioteca Archivio Renato Maestro is an archive and library that preserves bibliography and document fonds concerning the Jewish community of Venice, dedicated to the memory of Renato Maestro (1911-1974), former councillor and vice-president of the Jewish community. The Biblioteca was officially established in June 1981 and its statutes determined that its objective was to preserve and enrich “the bibliographic and archival heritage with particular regard to the history of the Jews in Venice and Italy”. Supported by private donations and public funding, different projects have been developed aiming to describe, preserve, transfer and make available different document collections, some of them kept by the local Jewish communities.
As a result of the different types of documents and collections, these fonds were rearranged into four groups: 1) archives of Università o Nazioni (Jewish communities) and other institutions; 2) archives of the Scuole, fraterne and sovvegni (synagogues, fraternities and brotherhoods); 3) two archives of the Fraterna generale israelitica di culto e beneficenza (Jewish general fraternity of worship and beneficence), later called the Comunità israelitica (Jewish community), and of the Fraterna israelitica di misericordia e pietà (Jewish fraternity of mercy and piety); 4) archives of associations belonging to institutions, families and members of the Jewish community.
The library opened to the public in January 1982, but the archive was only made available in 1991. Until then, the archive was kept in a storage room in the attics of the Levantine synagogue.
The access, reorganisation and incorporation of new document collections and fonds were affected by the discontinuous management until 2006, when the Biblioteca Archivio was closed for restorations. It reopened in 2009 in the current location, intended for functional integration with the museum spaces.
As a result of the different types of documents and collections, these fonds were rearranged into four groups: 1) archives of Università o Nazioni (Jewish communities) and other institutions; 2) archives of the Scuole, fraterne and sovvegni (synagogues, fraternities and brotherhoods); 3) two archives of the Fraterna generale israelitica di culto e beneficenza (Jewish general fraternity of worship and beneficence), later called the Comunità israelitica (Jewish community), and of the Fraterna israelitica di misericordia e pietà (Jewish fraternity of mercy and piety); 4) archives of associations belonging to institutions, families and members of the Jewish community.
The library opened to the public in January 1982, but the archive was only made available in 1991. Until then, the archive was kept in a storage room in the attics of the Levantine synagogue.
The access, reorganisation and incorporation of new document collections and fonds were affected by the discontinuous management until 2006, when the Biblioteca Archivio was closed for restorations. It reopened in 2009 in the current location, intended for functional integration with the museum spaces.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Jewish Università (communities) were established in Venice by the Senate's decree of March 29, 1516. The first communities to benefit from this decree were the "tedesci" (German Jews) and the Italians Jews, who were the majority throughout the first half of the 16th century. The construction of the first two synagogues in Venice, respectively the Scuola grande tedesca in 1528-1529, and the Scuola Canton founded by Provençal Jews in 1531-1532, dates back to this period.
In 1541, a new decree of the Senate formally authorised the presence of Levantine Jews — subjects of the Ottoman Empire, mainly of Sephardic origin. At the same time, the residential area of the Ghetto vecchio (old ghetto) was enlarged, giving rise to the Ghetto nuovo (new ghetto) and to the Levantine synagogue erected in the mid-16th century. At last, in 1589, after a long negotiation, the Ponentine Jews (Western Sephardim) were also recognised by the Venetian authorities and their settlement in the Republic was authorised. By this time, two other synagogues were built: the Scuola italiana (Italian synagogue) in 1575, and the Scuola spagnola (Spanish synagogue) around 1584.
At the end of the 16th century, the Università degli ebrei was a community made up of the German, Levantine and Ponentine nazioni (nations). The three groups were differentiated by distinct ritual, cultural and socio-economic features and practices. The Levantines and, in particular, the Ponentines were tendentially rich and enterprising merchants, some of them were part of broad trade networks. Such distinctiveness reserved them a privileged treatment by the central authorities of the Republic of Venice. In a short time, they became the most influential and numerically important Jewish communities in the city. This consistent growth of both communities led to the need for a new residential area, which gave place to the creation of the Ghetto nuovissimo (all-new ghetto).
According to the statutes contained in the Libro grande dell'Università degli ebrei (Great book of the Jewish community), the community was governed by a minor council (Wa'aadh or Vaàd qatan), which acted as an interlocutor with the Venetian authorities, and a general assembly (Qahal or Kaàl gadhol), composed of members elected on the basis of their wealth.
Below these two bodies, there were the distinct administrations of the five "scuole". In this case, the term "scuola" (literally, school) derives from "schòla", or brotherhood, which designated both the synagogue, as a place of prayer, and the congregational body that headed and managed the community.
The Università had neither political nor executive power. Its autonomy was strictly limited by the terms established by the statutes and determinations renewed every decade, and it was subject to the control of the Venetian judiciary: especially the Ufficiali al Cattaver, who had jurisdiction over the Ghetto nuovo, and the Cinque savi alla mercanzia, who exercised similar authority in the Ghetto vecchio. Other institutions, such as the Sopraconsoli ai mercanti, the Quarantia criminal or the Inquisitori sopra l'Università degli ebrei (18th century) also had authority over the Jewish community on specific matters.
Overall, this structure remained unchanged until the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. During the 18th century, all communities suffered a serious financial crisis, gradually losing their importance in the Venetian socio-economic life. The distinctions between the three nations also tended to fade.
In 1541, a new decree of the Senate formally authorised the presence of Levantine Jews — subjects of the Ottoman Empire, mainly of Sephardic origin. At the same time, the residential area of the Ghetto vecchio (old ghetto) was enlarged, giving rise to the Ghetto nuovo (new ghetto) and to the Levantine synagogue erected in the mid-16th century. At last, in 1589, after a long negotiation, the Ponentine Jews (Western Sephardim) were also recognised by the Venetian authorities and their settlement in the Republic was authorised. By this time, two other synagogues were built: the Scuola italiana (Italian synagogue) in 1575, and the Scuola spagnola (Spanish synagogue) around 1584.
At the end of the 16th century, the Università degli ebrei was a community made up of the German, Levantine and Ponentine nazioni (nations). The three groups were differentiated by distinct ritual, cultural and socio-economic features and practices. The Levantines and, in particular, the Ponentines were tendentially rich and enterprising merchants, some of them were part of broad trade networks. Such distinctiveness reserved them a privileged treatment by the central authorities of the Republic of Venice. In a short time, they became the most influential and numerically important Jewish communities in the city. This consistent growth of both communities led to the need for a new residential area, which gave place to the creation of the Ghetto nuovissimo (all-new ghetto).
According to the statutes contained in the Libro grande dell'Università degli ebrei (Great book of the Jewish community), the community was governed by a minor council (Wa'aadh or Vaàd qatan), which acted as an interlocutor with the Venetian authorities, and a general assembly (Qahal or Kaàl gadhol), composed of members elected on the basis of their wealth.
Below these two bodies, there were the distinct administrations of the five "scuole". In this case, the term "scuola" (literally, school) derives from "schòla", or brotherhood, which designated both the synagogue, as a place of prayer, and the congregational body that headed and managed the community.
The Università had neither political nor executive power. Its autonomy was strictly limited by the terms established by the statutes and determinations renewed every decade, and it was subject to the control of the Venetian judiciary: especially the Ufficiali al Cattaver, who had jurisdiction over the Ghetto nuovo, and the Cinque savi alla mercanzia, who exercised similar authority in the Ghetto vecchio. Other institutions, such as the Sopraconsoli ai mercanti, the Quarantia criminal or the Inquisitori sopra l'Università degli ebrei (18th century) also had authority over the Jewish community on specific matters.
Overall, this structure remained unchanged until the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. During the 18th century, all communities suffered a serious financial crisis, gradually losing their importance in the Venetian socio-economic life. The distinctions between the three nations also tended to fade.
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Access, restrictions
For consulting this fonds, it is mandatory a request of authorization from the coordinator of the library, specifying the nature of the research, addressed to renatomaestro@libero.it.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares and Carla Vieira, 2022
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Biblioteca Archivio Renato Maestro | Collections (official language of the state) |