Bidspirit auction | (ITALY). JOSEPH FIAMETTA. Hebrew Manuscript

(ITALY). JOSEPH FIAMETTA. Hebrew Manuscript poem that describes an earthquake that occurred in Ancona on the 29th December, 1690. The first half of each of the poem’s 24 stanzas conclude with an anaphora of Baruch, while the latter half concludes with “Amo / Imo.” Single page, laid down in some areas for preemptive support. Tall folio. 1800 Ancona, late 18th-century.     On Friday night of the 21st of Teveth, 1690, the central Italian seaport of Ancona was rocked by powerful earthquakes. Despite some structural damage, the local Jewish community was mostly unharmed, and subsequently sought to commemorate the event with a special ‘Purim Ancona.’ This would be the first and most important of the four Special Purims that the community of Ancona would come to observe. The holiday was marked by a fast day, followed by a special prayer service and celebration.      R. Joseph Fiametta (d. 1721), was a rabbi in Ancona and father-in-law of R. Samson Morpurgo. Fiametta’s Ohr Boker (Venice, 1709) contains the service for this special Purim Ancona (ff. 45b-55a) as well as numerous other Piyyutim and prayers, many of which became part of the Italian rite.