The widow Reina distributed 2,720 sous in her will. She gave 500 sous to marry off poor Jewish girls, and orders money to be invested to finance a Torah for the synagogue. She leaves money to family and friends, most notably 1000 sous to a female…
The widow Richa was a member of the Ashkenazic community of northern Italy. Her Latin will names her second son, Mose, as her universal heir, even though her other son, David, had been named universal heir in an earlier, Hebrew, document. David…
The widow Pasqua was a member of the Ashkenazic community of northern Italy. She was also a moneylender in the town of Trieste. Her will leaves a major part of her considerable wealth to her daughter Richa, though also gives bequests to her two sons,…
Gutta, the widow of Maier, was a member of the Ashkenazic community of northern Italy. She was also a moneylender. Gutta had her will written when she was very old ("ex antiquitate gravata"). She left money to her two living sons, and to her…
Cassena's husband Gracianus de Vita is still alive when she testates. Her first concern is her burial, which is to be at the Jewish cemetery in Trapani. The choice to address burial first seems to be the preference of the notary Cirami, who also…
Stera, who had been widowed and then remarried to a still-living husband at the time of testation, first ordered that she be buried in the Jewish cemetery of Trapani. The concern with burial, and the choice to place it first, seems to be a preference…
Lachayna came from a wealthy family with business interests across the Mediterranean.
As was common in Sicilian wills in this period, Lachayna first declares that she wants to be buried in the Jewish cemetery of her city. She also left a measure…
Dolce made her will in her home in Siena, which also functioned as the bank run by her current (second) husband, Jacob di Consiglio da Toscanella. Her husband was present at the testation, and gave his permission for her to make the will.
Gratia testates while pregnant, and her will follows immediately on the heels of a document in which her father "emancipates" her. The child with whom Gratia is currently pregnant is named her universal heir. It seems that, should the child not…
The widow Gaudiosa, sick in bed (as the boilerplate from Sicily has it), names her two sons Xibitella and Busacca as her universal heirs. She bequeaths clothing and textiles to her grandson Merdocay.
Disiata names as her universal heirs her brother Xibitello de Galiono and her nephew Busacca, the son of Siminto de Galiono (another brother). She leaves other bequests to her neice Rachila, her daughter Gaudiosa, and her sister Stella. She also…
Bullara, a widow, records her will when she is sick.
She names her grandson Sadiolus Sieli her universal heir. She leaves bed-related goods to her granddaughter Luna. She also leaves other female loved ones clothing and textile goods.
The widow Channuna, like most Jewish women represented in this collection, testated while sick. As the common boilerplate from Sicily has it, she testated while lying in bed.
Channuna leaves her grandson Magalufus the house in which he is living,…