In 1492, the Catholic King of Spain Ferdinand decreed that non-Christians in his domain, which included Sicily, would have to convert by 1493 or leave the Kingdom. At the time, 7 percent of Sicily’s population was Jewish, according to scholar and author Jacqueline Alio. Many Jews left the island and others converted to Christianity, a painful and difficult choice. The once thriving Jewish communities were forced to destroy traces of their faith and culture, as evidenced by recent research which revealed that this church, today known as Chiesa di San Giovannello, was once Meschita Judeorum, a synagogue. Over the centuries it has suffered much damage from earthquakes, vandalism, and non-religious activities. Today the cultural association Siracusa III Millennio is caring for this building, along with the Jewish baths (more on that tomorrow), as a monument to the city’s ancient Jewish population. (Source: Diary of A Discovery by Amalia Daniele di Bagni)
