Cultural Life in Mantua
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Jewish Life
During the 16th century the Gonzaga family who were in power in Mantua until 1708 gave much support to cultural and artistic life in the city and Mantua became an important center of Renaissance art and humanism, encouraging a wide interest in Jewish literature and history. Eminent Jews contributed to the city from the 15th century onwards and their legacy was an influence and inspiration for many generations in various fields of activity.
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During the 16th century the Gonzaga family who were in power in Mantua until 1708 gave much support to cultural and artistic life in the city and Mantua became an important center of Renaissance art and humanism, encouraging a wide interest in Jewish literature and history. Eminent Jews contributed to the city from the 15th century onwards and their legacy was an influence and inspiration for many generations in various fields of activity.
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Among Jews active in the city’s cultural life was physician and scholar Azariah ben Moses dei Rossi (1513-1578) whose work “Meor Aynayim” Light to the Eyes," appeared in Mantua in 1575 and aroused much interest. It contained his interpretation of many historical events in Jewish life relating them to natural science, astronomy, mathematics and other sciences – as they were understood in his time. A prolific Torah scholar who studied ancient and modern languages, he also composed religious poetry piyyutim, some of which were included in the Sabbath and Festival services of Italian Jewish communities.
Leone de’ Sommi 1527-1592 was descended from the distinguished Portaleone family. He was a dramatist and director of theatre in Mantua, and was widely known outside Italy for his inventive stage-craft particularly in his use of lighting on the stage. Sommi was a prolific playwright of the Renaissance staging many plays for the ducal court, writing dramas and other material as well as presenting plays on behalf of the Jewish community. Among his works is a comedy of betrothal Ẓahut Bedihuta de-Kiddushin, one of the oldest Hebrew dramas known. The play written in biblical Hebrew was staged in Italy during the16th & 17th centuries and was revived in Israel in the 1960s. He wrote poetry both in Hebrew and Italian, his work Magen Nashin defending women gave examples of distinguished women from biblical, classical and Italian sources, it had alternate stanzas in Hebrew and Italian. Among his acclaimed writings was the Dialoghi, written in Italian. It featured three men engaged in a dialogue that focused on Renaissance theatre and was written in a humorous style.
Sommi was also active in Jewish communal life and was a skilled writer of scrolls of the Law. His fame and contribution to the city’s cultural life relieved him of the burden of wearing the yellow badge all Jews were forced to wear. When the city of Mantua granted him rights to build a property he constructed a synagogue on the site, and although there are no longer any remains of the building Sommi’s tomb inscription recorded that he had erected a synagogue in the city.
A contemporary of Leone di Sommi was Abraham Colorni b. c. 1530 in Mantua who also served as a technical adviser in the theatre at the Mantuan court. He was distinguished in the field of science, an inventor and an engineer who had designed the fortifications of the city of Ferrara. Colorni was acknowledged as a gifted mathematician and published a work on cryptography. He was instrumental in the design of various materials used in warfare such as pontoons enabling areas of water to be easily crossed, a chambered revolver, collapsible boats and other important military aids.
Leone de’ Sommi 1527-1592 was descended from the distinguished Portaleone family. He was a dramatist and director of theatre in Mantua, and was widely known outside Italy for his inventive stage-craft particularly in his use of lighting on the stage. Sommi was a prolific playwright of the Renaissance staging many plays for the ducal court, writing dramas and other material as well as presenting plays on behalf of the Jewish community. Among his works is a comedy of betrothal Ẓahut Bedihuta de-Kiddushin, one of the oldest Hebrew dramas known. The play written in biblical Hebrew was staged in Italy during the16th & 17th centuries and was revived in Israel in the 1960s. He wrote poetry both in Hebrew and Italian, his work Magen Nashin defending women gave examples of distinguished women from biblical, classical and Italian sources, it had alternate stanzas in Hebrew and Italian. Among his acclaimed writings was the Dialoghi, written in Italian. It featured three men engaged in a dialogue that focused on Renaissance theatre and was written in a humorous style.
Sommi was also active in Jewish communal life and was a skilled writer of scrolls of the Law. His fame and contribution to the city’s cultural life relieved him of the burden of wearing the yellow badge all Jews were forced to wear. When the city of Mantua granted him rights to build a property he constructed a synagogue on the site, and although there are no longer any remains of the building Sommi’s tomb inscription recorded that he had erected a synagogue in the city.
A contemporary of Leone di Sommi was Abraham Colorni b. c. 1530 in Mantua who also served as a technical adviser in the theatre at the Mantuan court. He was distinguished in the field of science, an inventor and an engineer who had designed the fortifications of the city of Ferrara. Colorni was acknowledged as a gifted mathematician and published a work on cryptography. He was instrumental in the design of various materials used in warfare such as pontoons enabling areas of water to be easily crossed, a chambered revolver, collapsible boats and other important military aids.