Today for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember that for generations before the Spanish Inquisition (roughly 1478-1834), Sicily was home to thousands of Jews who lived side by side with their fellow citizens who represented a multicultural salad in the middle of the Mediterranean Basin. Palermo honors the history of its diverse citizenship with street…
Tag: jewish history sicily
Sicily’s Jewish Past
By nature of its position in the middle of the Mediterranean, Sicily has always been a multicultural land. Before the Spanish Inquisition (Yes, the Spanish ruled Sicily during this dark period (roughly 1478-1834).), Jews, according to scholar and author Jacqueline Alio, made up almost 7 percent of Sicily’s population. Palermo was home to a large…