Jewish and Catholic Marriages in Early Modern Italy : Affinities, Differences, Interactions

The article analyzes and compares the marriage rituals and civil norms of Jews and Catholics in early modern Italy. The text highlights crucial differences: Jewish women enjoyed greater autonomy and superior economic protection, particularly regarding the dowry, which was safeguarded even in the event of the husband’s bankruptcy. Unlike Christian women, who faced increasing control from the Church (especially after the Council of Trent), Jewish women could rely on a more favora- ble legal system and marriage contract (the ketubbah). Based on the communi- ties of Livorno and Ferrara, the analysis demonstrates how this autonomy and the structure of the Jewish dowry not only protected the woman but also the family business. Finally, the essay suggests that, in Counter-Reformation Italy, a gradual convergence was taking place between the Jewish and Christian models of mar- riage. This is analyzed also by examining several rabbinical opinions, including a previously unpublished one by the eminent Roman rabbi Tranquillo Vita Corcos.