the Spanish inquisition (started in 1492) began to settle in Ancona and changed the demographics and the ratios between the sub-groups of the town Jewish community. Most of these fugitives came from Sicily and later from Naples and Portugal. In 1529, the Jewish false messiah Shlomo Molkho visited Ancona and provoked and stimulated a messianic enthusiasm among the town Jews. As Ancona was declared a free port in around 1532 by Pope Paul III, the city was joined by even more Spanish and Portuguese Jews who found it to be an ideal base for commerce with the Levant. In 1550, the Jewish population of Ancona numbered about 2700 individuals. The pro-Jewish attitude of the Roman Popes protected and stimulated the growth of the Ancona Jewish population, until 1555 when the Vatican approach towards the Ancona Jews had changed due to the persecutions of Pope Paul IV in 1555. Persecution under Pope Paul IV In objection to the popes which preceded him, Pope Paul IV turned against the Jewish population of Ancona. During his rule, between the years 1555 and 1559, the town Jews were deprived of valuable franchises, enclosed within a ghetto, limited in their commerce and heavily taxed, as ordered in The Papal Bull of 1555. The papal opposition to Crypto-Judaism and Marranos was especially strong. Cesare Galuaba, a papal commissioner, was sent to Ancona in order to incarcerate all Jews who were not willing to be baptized. By that, around 60 Jews renounced their faith; 24 Jews refused to do so and were hanged and then burned, as described in local documents and in "shalshelet HaKabala". Martyrs of 1555 These are the names of the martyrs who died due to their refusal to convert to Christianity upon Pope Paul IV's Bull of 1555: Simeon Ben Menachem (Abenmenachem) Yoseph Oeff (Guascon in another source) Samuel Guascon Abraham Falcon Isac Nahmias Salomon Alguadish Moses Paggi (de Paz) Salomon Pinto Yoseph Molco (Molcho) Abraham Cerilia David Nahas Abraham di Spagna Moses Barzilon David Reuben (Ruben) Salomon Iahia David Sadicairo Yoseph Verdai Yoseph Pappo Yacob Cohen Yacob Montalban (Montalvano) Abraham Lobo Yacob Mozzo Abraham Cohen anonymous woman Ancona boycott The hanging of the 23 Jews that refused to convert in 1555 shocked the Jewish communities around Europe and inspired elegies which are still recited locally on Tisha B'Av. As a result of the persecution, Dona Gracia Mendes Nasi initiated a meeting of