The history of the Jews in Florence can be traced over nine hundred years. Florence () is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. The Jews of Florence have one of the oldest continuous Jewish communities in Europe. The historic Jewish community in Florence is one of the largest and one of the most influential Jewish communities in Italy. The Jewish community in Florence also serves the smaller neighboring Jewish communities in Pisa, Livorno, and Siena. Ancient and Medieval history While the evidence of Jews living in Tuscany in the Roman Era is scant, Benjamin of Tudela recorded finding a Jewish community in Florence when he visited in 1159. The history of the Jews in Florence really begins with Italian Jews from the south emigrating to Florence and the Tuscan region by the beginning of the 14th century. Many Jews who settled in Florence were merchants and money lenders. Emanuel ben Uzziel da Camerino was one of the first known Jews of Florence whose name was recorded. In 1428, the small Jewish community in Florence lent funds to Pope Martin V in exchange for his protection for the local Jews. The Jewish community in Florence was formally founded in 1437. The Medici family of Florence was closely linked to the Jews of Florence. For instance, the Medicis protected the Jews of Florence from sermons by fanatical Roman Catholic clergy, such as Bernardino da Feltre and Girolamo Savonarola who both pursued a policy of expulsion. Some of the expulsion orders were tied to plague hysteria. However, when the Medicis fell briefly from power in the 1490s, the Jews of Florence were ordered to leave the city. Fortunately, Jewish money loaned to the Republic of Florence delayed the expulsion until the Medicis returned to power in 1512. During this time Jewish physicians and scholars were called to the court of the Medicis. In 1537, a Sephardic Jew by the name of Jacob Abravanel from Ferrara was instrumental by influencing Cosimo de Medici in allowing Sephardic Jews and Marranos from Spain and Portugal to settle in Florence. Thus the growth of the Jewish community began to increase. In addition to Sephardic Jews, more Italian Jews from the Papal States also arrived. However, once Cosimo de Medici consolidated his power, he began to enact anti-Jewish laws such as special dress codes for the Jews. He also