Immanuel Romano. Poeta ebreo della Fermo medioevale

Organizer: Municipality of Fermo

For several years, the association R&V Territorio o.d.v. has been carrying out in-depth research on the Jewish community of Fermo, which played a particularly important role in the early Middle Ages. Among its most remarkable figures was Immanuel Romano (Immanu’el ben Šelomoh ha-Romi), an eminent Jewish poet of the 13th–14th centuries. Both a witness to and a protagonist of his time, he contributed to one of the most creative periods in cultural history: the birth of the Italian literary language.

This event will explore Romano’s life and works through lectures, performances, and guided tours, bringing to light the Jewish contribution to the development of Italian and European identity.

Program

• Book presentation: Immanuel Romano: Jewish Poet in Medieval Fermo (edited by Stefano Degli Esposti, Claudia Colletta, and Eleonora Paniconi, published by R&V Territorio o.d.v.)

• Docufilm screening: My name is Immanuel … I put every word at the service of my soul … (directed by Luca Incorvaia)

• Lecture: Prof. Fabrizio Lelli, Sapienza University of Rome

• Readings: Unpublished selections from the Mahbaroth, Immanuel Romano’s major work of 28 chapters written during his stay in Fermo

• Guided tour: Visit to Jewish heritage sites in Fermo, enriched by theatrical performances with actors in period costumes

The program is open to the general public, with a special focus on teachers, students of middle and high schools, and visitors to Fermo. It aims not only to rediscover the life and works of Immanuel Romano but also to highlight how coexistence, interaction, and the blending of cultures—despite intolerance and conflict—shaped the social, economic, and cultural development of societies and laid the foundations of Italian and European identity.

Program is organized by the Municipality of Fermo and R&V Territorio o.d.v..

The event is part of the Cities Embracing Jewish Heritage initiative supported by the Combat Antisemitism Movement and the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage