Jewish Presence in Trapani
The Jewish presence in Trapani dates back to Late Antiquity. During the Middle Ages, the community grew significantly and is thought to have represented as much as one-tenth of the city’s population.
The Jewish quarter was located in the parish of San Pietro, also known as Casalicchio, between the eastern city walls and the harbor. Its main street was Via della Giudecca, although this name was officially given to the street only in 1872. The quarter was home to the synagogue, school, hospital, and a mikveh, whose exact location has not yet been identified.
Much of the historic quarter was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II and subsequently transformed in the 1950s. One important building, however, has survived: Palazzo Ciambra, also known as Palazzo della Giudecca. Built in the 16th century on the possible site of the former synagogue, the palace is a tangible reminder of Trapani’s Jewish past.
Other traces can still be found in the city’s streets. Names such as Via degli Ebrei (Street of the Jews) and Via dei Tintori (Street of the Dyers) preserve the memory of the community and of the activities associated with the former Jewish quarter.
The community had two known cemeteries. The first was located outside the Porta Botteghelle gate. The second stood outside the city walls, beyond Via della Giudecca, near the Church of San Paolo. In 1495, the cemetery was dismantled to make way for the Bastione dell’Impossibile (Bastion of the Impossible), and its tombstones were reused as paving stones.
Lectures and Guided Visits
Group lectures and visits are available by arrangement. Meetings can be held in Italian, English, French, or Hebrew.
For further information and bookings, please contact Chiara Camarda at ebraicosanrocco@gmail.com.
What to See
TRAPANI
Agostino Pepoli Museum
Via Conte Agostino Pepoli 180
The museum houses three funerary inscriptions in Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic, discovered in 1887 during the construction of Trapani’s fish market. They were translated by Monsignor Bartolomeo Lagumina and Rabbi Marco Mortara.
Fardelliana Library
Largo San Giacomo 18
The library preserves a 14th-century manuscript containing Abraham Abulafia’s The Light of the Intellect, accompanied by two kabbalistic commentaries.
Trapani State Archive
Via Sant’Anna
The archive preserves fragments of a Torah scroll, which were later reused in the binding of notarial records.
ERICE
Museo Cordici
Vico S. Rocco, 1, Erice (TP)
The museum houses a Jewish tombstone and an oil lamp decorated with a menorah, material traces of the Jewish presence in the area.