Jewish Tour

Very little to see but a lot to say. The history of the Sicilian-Jews lacks the visibility it ought to have. One of the biggest communities in Medieval Europe, together with Syracuse, the Jewish community here played a vital role in the local economy with its workshops and trading skills. Some excelled as translators and as doctors, others as goldsmiths and silk-makers.

Expelled from Sicily in 1493, then part of the Spanish Empire, they totally disappeared from our history books so much so that still today, even well-educated people know very little about the Sicilian-Jews.

Most of the written evidence comes from the local Historic Archives giving an insight of a people very much “Sicilian” after living for over fifteen centuries on this island.

This tour will take you to where the Synagogue and the so-called Jewish district was. We will then pay a visit to the local archive to see the Alhambra Decree, or the Edict of Expulsion and then to what is very likely to be the Miqveh of the Palermitan-Jewish community.

In the afternoon we’ll take a cab to the Ziza, to see a unique tombstone in 4 languages, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew.

• Morning: Walk through the so-called Jewish district, the Guzzetta and the Meschita, Historic Archive, the Miqveh.
• Lunch at local Street food parlour.
• Afternoon: The Ziza

• Starting at 9-9.30 am, finishing at 5-5.30 pm
• Tickets to the monuments and lunch are not included.
• Transport needed. Can be arranged.

If you wish to book this tour visit my contacts page.