Jewish and Converted Musicians and Musical Instrument Makers in Southern Italy in the Fifteenth through Early Seventeenth Centuries

The migration of Iberian Jewish and converted musicians to Italy following the Sephardic expulsions from Spain (1492) and Portugal (1497) had a strong impact on Italian culture—both Jewish and non-Jewish—at the turn of the sixteenth century. A rich array of sources reveals the importance of Jewish and converted musicians and makers of musical instruments within the Kingdom of Naples. Specifically, an exploration of materials preserved in the State Archive of Palermo (1513) reveals an indelible link between Sephardic migrant musicians and Neapolitan musical life. This connection runs deep enough that it directly affected the evolution of musical instrument