Archivio Storico Comunale; Congregazione di carità: Fr. Ms. ebr.

Item

Country

IT

Name of institution (English)

State Archives Section of Cesena

Name of institution (official language of the state)

Language of name of institution

ita

Contact information: postal address

Via Montalti 4, 47521 Cesena

Contact information: phone number

0039 0547 610754

Contact information: web address

Contact information: email

as-fc.sezionecesena@beniculturali.it

Reference number

ASFC, sezione Cesena, Archivio Storico Comunale
ASFC, sezione Cesena, Congregazione di carità

Type of reference number

Archival reference number

Title (English)

Municipal Historical Archive of Cesena; Congregation of Charity: fragments of Hebrew manuscripts

Title (official language of the state)

Archivio Storico Comunale; Congregazione di carità: Fr. Ms. ebr.

Language of title

ita

Creator / accumulator

Comune di Cesena
Ospedali del territorio di Cesena

Date(s)

1297/1933

Date note

Archivio Storico Comunale (1375/1805)
Congregazione di carità (1297/1933)

Language(s)

heb
ita
lat

Extent

2075 storage units; 253 parchments (Archivio Storico Comunale)
1789 storage units; 296 parchments (Congregazione di carità)

Type of material

Textual Material

Physical condition

Satisfactory

Scope and content

Within the rich documentary heritage preserved in the Cesena Section of the State Archives of Forlí, two fonds — the Archivio storico comunale (Historical Municipal Archives of Cesena) and the Congregazione di carità, Ospedali Istituzioni riunite (Congregation of charity, Hospitals Joint Institutions) — preserve two fragments of Hebrew manuscripts from the Sephardic context. They are the following:
ASFC, sezione Cesena, Archivio Storico Comunale, reg. 1751, aa. 1577-1578: fragments of a 13th or 14th-century Bible (Psalms 73, 1-22; 83, 16-85) written in Sephardic square script.
ASFC, sezione Cesena, Congregazione di carità, reg. A-III-49, Ospedale del SS Crocifisso, Libro delle entrate e uscite, aa. 1566-1567: fragment of a 13th or 14th-century Bible (Proverbs, Ruth) written in Sephardic square script.

Archival history

The State Archives Section of Cesena was established in 1970. Back then, it occupied part of the former Franciscan convent as its headquarters. One of the main collections preserved in this section is the municipality of Cesena fonds. It comprises documentation from the 14th century, although records prior to 1377 and those dating from Malatesta rule (1379-1465) are rather scarce. From the second half of the 15th century, conservation became much more stable. Around 1750, the first partial arrangement of the archive was carried out, followed by two other efforts to organise the documentation in the 19th century. Only in more recent years, after the transference of the fonds to the headquarters of the State Archives, has there been a more complete cataloguing of the fonds. It was then divided into six distinct collections, including the Chancellery registers, where fragments of Hebrew manuscripts have been found.
Another noteworthy collection of the Cesena section is the Congregazione di carità fonds, which gathers documents produced by various charities and hospitals established in the city. Among these, the six hospitals series include the documentation of the Ospedale del SS Crocifisso, where fragments of Jewish parchments have been found.

Administrative / Biographical history

Born in the Roman era, Cesena had its development closely related to the presence of the Via Emilia in its territories. Cesena belonged to the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna, and only in the 11th century did it become a free municipality. Subsequently, it entered the orbit of the Holy See, and it was granted in vicariate to Francesco Ordelaffi, who had already taken possession of it in 1333. During the 15th century, Cesena was under direct papal control. From 1500 to 1504, it was ruled by the Borgias. After Venice's unsuccessful attempt to conquer Cesena, it passed under the dominion of the Church in the legation of Romagna. The presence of a Jewish community in Cesena has been attested since the 13th century. Throughout the following centuries, the community grew and received elements and influences from the Sephardic culture.
Sources:

Access points: locations

Access points: subject terms

Access points: document types

Finding aids

Historical Municipal Archive of Cesena. Inventory 1950-1951 (available in the reading room)

Congregation of charity
Partial inventory 1949; lists 1975-1976 (available in Room Study)

Links to finding aids

Author of the description

Andrea Cicerchia, 2022

Bibliography

Item sets

Linked resources

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is part (item) of
Title Alternate label Class
Sezione Archivio di Stato di Cesena Collections (official language of the state)