Jews in via Ghetto
The Jews in via Ghetto
Via Ghetto has existed for a long time in the toponymy of Guardiagrele has; so it is common conviction that Guardiagrele has entertained a Jewish community since ancient times.
Before and during the Second World War, Guardiagrele had an internment field for Jews after Italy's entry into the war.
In 1276 via Ghetto already existed. The presence of Jewish families in Guardiagrele and the existence of via Ghetto finds indirect confirmation in some documents as the 'Town Statutes of Guardiagrele' of 1400/1500.
Comparing the documented geographical distribution of
the Jews at the times of Benjamin of Tudela, it is deduced that the presence of Hewish families in Guardiagrele has exclusively happened during
XIV and XVI centuries. The maximum growth of the Jewish community was between
1300/1500. Among the activities developed by the Jews, money loans assumed an important prevalence.
The Church, which was very powerful in that period, totally opposed to these money loans. Numerous ecclesiastical councils and papal decrees confirmed the prohibition of usury and it was set in the 'Corpus Iuris Canonical'.