Jews and Magic in Medici Florence

The Secret World of Benedetto Blanis

Nonfiction, History, Italy, Renaissance, Jewish
Cover of the book Jews and Magic in Medici Florence by Edward L. Goldberg, University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Edward L. Goldberg ISBN: 9781442660137
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division Publication: August 6, 2011
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Edward L. Goldberg
ISBN: 9781442660137
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
Publication: August 6, 2011
Imprint:
Language: English

In the seventeenth century, Florence was the splendid capital of the Medici Grand Dukedom of Tuscany. Meanwhile, the Jews in its tiny Ghetto struggled to earn a living by any possible means, especially loan-sharking, rag-picking and second-hand dealing. They were viewed as an uncanny people with rare supernatural powers, and Benedetto Blanis—a businessman and aspiring scholar from a distinguished Ghetto dynasty—sought to parlay his alleged mastery of astrology, alchemy and Kabbalah into a grand position at the Medici Court. He won the patronage of Don Giovanni dei Medici, a scion of the ruling family, and for six tumultuous years their lives were inextricably linked.

Edward Goldberg reveals the dramas of daily life behind the scenes in the Pitti Palace and in the narrow byways of the Florentine Ghetto, using thousands of new documents from the Medici Granducal Archive. He shows that truth—especially historical truth—can be stranger than fiction, when viewed through the eyes of the people most immediately involved.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the seventeenth century, Florence was the splendid capital of the Medici Grand Dukedom of Tuscany. Meanwhile, the Jews in its tiny Ghetto struggled to earn a living by any possible means, especially loan-sharking, rag-picking and second-hand dealing. They were viewed as an uncanny people with rare supernatural powers, and Benedetto Blanis—a businessman and aspiring scholar from a distinguished Ghetto dynasty—sought to parlay his alleged mastery of astrology, alchemy and Kabbalah into a grand position at the Medici Court. He won the patronage of Don Giovanni dei Medici, a scion of the ruling family, and for six tumultuous years their lives were inextricably linked.

Edward Goldberg reveals the dramas of daily life behind the scenes in the Pitti Palace and in the narrow byways of the Florentine Ghetto, using thousands of new documents from the Medici Granducal Archive. He shows that truth—especially historical truth—can be stranger than fiction, when viewed through the eyes of the people most immediately involved.

More books from University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division

Cover of the book Rural Women's Health by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Making and Remaking the Balkans by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book The Arctic Frontier by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Beasley's Guide to Library Research by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book A Mennonite in Russia by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Displacing Blackness by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Essays in Political Economy by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Frontier and Metropolis by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Gender, Narrative, and Dissonance in the Modern Italian Novel by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Dominion of Capital by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book PTSD and the Politics of Trauma in Israel by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book One Job Town by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book David Cronenberg's A History of Violence by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Through A Classical Eye by Edward L. Goldberg
Cover of the book Urban Systems Development in Central Canada by Edward L. Goldberg
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy