The Jews of Florence & Tuscany

This talk explores Jewish life in Florence and other Tuscan cities from medieval times to the present, revealing periods of coexistence and flourishing alongside persecution, libels and resilience.

Set against the splendour of Renaissance Florence, discover how deeply embedded Jews were in the city’s cultural and economic success. From the Medici court, where Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent studied Hebrew with eminent Rabbonim, to scholars, scribes and artists whose work shaped one of history’s most extraordinary periods of creativity.

Tracing the community through emancipation under Napoleon, the struggle for Italian independence, and the devastation of Fascism and Nazism, explore how political change reshaped both Jewish lives and the city itself - culminating in the transformation of the ghetto site into today’s Piazza della Repubblica.

Ending with the Florentine Jewish community today, this talk offers a moving portrait of continuity, survival and renewal in a city celebrated for its art and culture.