Jewish Taormina

MARCH 7, 2025: Due to its strategic location in the Mediterranean, Sicily’s history is a series of conquests by different civilizations. Settled by the Phoenicians and Greeks, it became a major center of Greek civilization before falling under Roman rule in 241 BCE. After the fall of Rome, it was ruled by the Byzantines, then the Arabs from the 9th century. The Normans conquered Sicily in the 11th century, and by the 15th century, the island became part of the Spanish Empire. In the 19th century, Sicily joined the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.

The history of Jews in Sicily reflects the influence of its successive rulers. Jewish communities were present from Roman times, largely made up of slaves brought to the island after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The Jewish communities then grew significantly under Byzantine and Arab rule, where they contributed to commerce, medicine, and scholarship. The Arab period (9th–11th centuries) was particularly favorable, as Jews thrived under Islamic tolerance, engaging in trade and intellectual pursuits. However, under Norman rule (11th–12th centuries), while Jewish life remained vibrant, they were increasingly confined to designated quarters, or giudecche. During Spanish rule in the 15th century, anti-Jewish sentiment intensified, culminating in the 1492 Edict of Expulsion. This forced thousands of Sicilian Jews to convert or flee, scattering them across the Mediterranean.

By the time of their expulsion in 1492, Sicily had fifty-two Jewish communities, with Palermo’s population reaching 5,000. Large communities of 2,000 to 3,600 Jews thrived in Trapani, Messina, Catania, Marsala, Sciacca, Agrigento, and Mazara, while mid-sized communities of 350 to 1,500 people existed in Bivona, Caltagirone, Caltabellotta, Mineo, Modica, Noto, and Polizzi. Smaller Jewish populations were found in Salemi (320 people), as well as in Taormina, Castroreale, Randazzo, Augusta, Erice, and Paternò. On this trip, we plan to visit all the places written in italics.

Before expulsion, some scholars estimate that Sicily’s Jewish population reached 100,000, making up 10% of the island’s total population, while more conservative estimates suggest 50,000. Even with the lower figure, Sicily had one of the highest percentages of Jews in Europe, with Jews comprising at least 5% of the overall population. This number may not seem like much, but the percentage varied from town to town, and in some places, Jews made up a substantial portion of the community—for example, in Marsala, they accounted for almost 50% of the population.

What remains of Sicily’s once-thriving Jewish communities? Not much. Most synagogues, cemeteries, and landmarks were destroyed, repurposed, or built over after the 1492 expulsion. Today, some towns have rediscovered and restored Jewish mikvahs, while others display Jewish tombstones in their museums. In other places, all that remains are the names of narrow streets in the former Jewish quarter, or the name of the gate that the Jews used to enter the city, names that hint of a Jewish past.

Taormina is one of the places that had a very small Jewish community. The former Jewish quarter was in the area between the cathedral and the Catania gate and a few of the street names in this quarter, such as Vico Ebrei still keep the memory of the Jewish presence in the city. Friday morning, in the pouring rain, we went to explore the former Jewish Quarter.

We knew of Vico Ebrei, and while walking up and down the narrow lanes, we stumbled upon other related names – Via del Ghetto and Traversa Degli Ebrei (translates as Crossroads of the Jews).

While walking along the city walls in the Jewish quarter, we came to the Palace of the Dukes of Santo Stefano. It was built between the mid-13th century and the beginning of the 14th (when Jews still lived in Taormina) and now houses the G. Mazzullo Foundation. Looking at the building, under the arches on the top floor, there are windows in which a six-pointed star (a Magen David) is inscribed.

We also found another building in the Jewish Quarter, currently the municipal police station, which has Magen Davids on its front.

In the context of medieval architecture, the use of six-sided stars was not always specifically related to Jewish identity. However, considering that in all of Taormina, the only places they appear, are buildings in the area of the Jewish quarter, I would like to think that these stars are somehow linked to the Jewish life that was one here.

We also wondered whether any buildings in the area might have originally been synagogues. In Spain, we learned that one method used to determine if a church was once a synagogue is by examining its bell tower—was it part of the original design or a later addition? Applying the same idea here, we noticed two churches within the former Jewish quarter that might once have been synagogues. Who knows?

After exploring the Jewish Quarter, we went to the Ancient Theater in Taormina, which has a small museum on its premise. Here we found some additional evidence of the city’s Jewish past. On display is a small piece of stone tablet, with what is possibly a menorah. The signage explains that according to some, the Greek text is a blessing for Shabbat.

Everything we saw today matched what we had previously researched online, confirming the accuracy of what we had read. We had also read that a good place to be in Taormina on a rainy day (and it was pouring) is the library. The library is located in Piazza IX Aprile, and we escaped into there to get out of the cold and wet.

As we entered, we asked the librarian if she knew anything about Taormina’s Jewish history. She shook her head no. Continuing deeper into the library, we passed a door marked “Private.” Through its window, I glimpsed an exterior window with a beautiful view of the sea. I leaned in for a closer look—then, to my surprise, I noticed the picture hanging on the wall near the window.

Wow. This was a map of all the Jewish communities in Sicily in 1492. An unexpected find! I asked the librarian if I could go into the private area to photograph and she watchfully let me in.

Now we need to compare what we see on the map with the list of towns that we already have. Maybe it will add even more towns to the list we will visit.