Jewish life in Tuscany dates back over 800 years, with communities flourishing in cities such as Florence, Livorno, Pisa, Siena and Pitigliano. Tuscany became home to one of Italy's most diverse Jewish landscapes: from the Sephardic merchants of Livorno, welcomed under the 16th-century Livornine laws granting exceptional religious freedom, to smaller historic communities that preserved distinctive local traditions.

In this talk, I will introduce the Jewish heritage of Tuscany, with a special focus on my hometown, Siena, while also bringing in examples and stories from other important cities in the region. Siena, while small in numbers, remains an active community of around 40 members. Since the first documented traces in 1229, Jews have maintained a continuous presence here and have been an integral part of the city's society.

This long history has also included periods of hardship, such as the anti-Jacobin riot of 1799, when 13 Jews were burned alive in Piazza del Campo, and the Nazi deportations from Siena's ghetto. Today, despite our small numbers, we remain committed to keeping this centuries-old light alive. Alongside Siena, I will also highlight aspects of Jewish life, both past and present, in Livorno, Pisa, Florence and Pitigliano, including glimpses of what these communities look like today.