The Long Journey of Gracia MendesCentral European University Press, 1 janv. 2003 - 147 pages The historical biography of a true Jewish heroine in her day, Gracia Mendes. Born in 1510 in Portugal, the book details this woman's extraordinary personality until her death in 1569 in Constantinople (today's Istanbul). Her life exemplified a perseverance by the Jewish culture to survive and triumph even in the worst of conditions. As a young girl, Gracia secretly married successful Jewish spice trader, Francisco Mendes. But at age 27 she became a widow, yet she went on to raise her children and run the family business all on her own. Her travels led her through Antwerp, Venice, Ferrara, Ragusa, and finally to Constantinople, from where the Ottoman Empire dominated former Byzantium territories and offered shelter for battered Conversos (converted Jews). The text recounting the last fifteen years of Gracia's life at the center of the Empire is particularly revealing. Birnbaum's biography has the unique distinction of being the first among many studies to pay tribute to a woman during this period. It is also one of the first titles to pay equal attention to the lives of the Conversos in Christian West Europe and in the Muslim East. |
Table des matières
| 5 | |
LIFE IN SIXTEENTHCENTURY ANTWERP | 15 |
GRACIA IN VENICE | 36 |
GRACIA AND JEWISH PATRONAGE | 54 |
IN BUSINESS WITH RAGUSA | 66 |
Conclusion | 115 |
| 128 | |
| 141 | |
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Abraham Usque agents allegedly Almosnino Amatus Lusitanus Ancona Antwerp Aragon arrived Barcelona became Benvenist boycott Brianda brother Charles Christian claimed Consolaçam Constantinople conversos Costa court daughter death Dernschwam Diogo Dubrovnik ducats earlier Ebrei economic écus emperor Enriquez Ercole Europe European expulsion family’s Ferrara Ferrara Bible fiorino Francisco Fuggers ghetto Gomes Gracia la Chica Gracia Mendes Grunebaum-Ballin Hamon Hebrew Iberian Illueca Inquisition Italian Italy Jerusalem Jewish Jewish community Jewish name Joseph Nasi Judaism judaizing juives large number later letter Levantine Lisbon lived Low Countries Luna Marrano marriage married medal Mendes family Mendes-Nasi family merchants move Muslims Nasi’s Naxos Ottoman Empire papal Pesaro physician pope port Portugal Portuguese Portuguese conversos Processi Pullan Rabbi Ragusa records religious remained Renaissance Reyna Roth Roth’s safe conduct Salonika Samuel scholars secret Jews Selim Selim II sister sixteenth century Spain Spanish Süleyman sultan sürgün synagogue tion trade Turkey Turkish Turks Usque’s Venetian Venice widow