Overview
Pope Paul IV’s policies placed severe pressure upon Jews and former conversos living in Ancona. Inquisitorial proceedings led to the execution of Portuguese New Christians who had resumed Jewish practice. Doña Gracia Mendes Nasi and other leaders promoted a commercial boycott of Ancona, redirecting trade toward Pesaro. The effort produced disagreement among merchants and rabbis over effectiveness, collective responsibility, and the risks faced by nearby communities. The episode reveals organized Jewish resistance as well as its practical limitations. It also demonstrates how persecution, commerce, diplomacy, and halakhic debate became inseparable within the Sephardic diaspora.
