SENIGALLIA

SENIGALLIA, town on the Adriatic coast of Italy. Jewish loan bankers made their appearance there in the 14th century. As a result of Church pressure, the anti-Jewish decrees imposed in the second half of the 16th century were enforced in Senigallia also, when the town was under the rule of the Della Rovere family. In 1631 the town came under the direct rule of the popes with the rest of the duchy of Urbino; three years later a ghetto was instituted for the 40 families. During the next century and a half, the Jewish population trebled; many Jews also attended Senigallia's famous fair. In 1789 there were about 600 Jews living in the town. Taking advantage of the temporary withdrawal of the French occupying forces in 1799, the populace sacked the ghetto, killed 13 Jews and drove the rest into temporary exile. In 1870 around 300 Jews lived in Senigallia. In 1969 there were 30 Jews living in Senigallia, who were considered a part of the ancona community. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Roth, in. HUCA, 10 (1935), 468–71; Milano, Bibliotheca, index. (Ariel Toaff)