The Livorno Generations

The first record of the name Ottolenghi in the Livorno Community is the marriage of Menachem Emmanuel ben Meir Ottolenghi.

It is not known where Menachem was born, in or about 1698, or when he arrived in Livorno. It is possible that he came from one of the Ottolenghi families of Piedmont and migrated to Livorno, which was at that time the only city where Jews were not forced to live in ghettos, sometime before his marriage. He married Judith (Judica) daughter of Immanuel di Valletro in Livorno on 15^th Tevet 5480 – 27^th December, 1719. This is a certified copy their Jewish marriage certificate (ketubah)

The Novia’s (bride’s) name “di Valletro” probably derives from the town of Velletri in the Alban Hills, south west of Rome from where Jews were expelled by the Papal Bull of 1569. All that remains of the Jewish presence there is the ancient synagogue building in Via della Stamperia in the old Jewish quarter. The only clue to its Jewish past that I could see when I visited in 2001, is a window high in the east facing wall which is in the form of the Star of David.

MENACHEM EMMANUEL and JUDICA OTTOLENGHI had at least 11 children, all born in Livorno:-

1. MEIR born 1720 named for his paternal grandfather. His was the first Ottolenghi birth registered in Livorno. He apparently died before 1743 when the youngest sibling was born and also named Meir,
2. BATSEBA born 1721,
3. ELISEO born 1724, wife unknown had one daughter,   Estrelha, born 1749, Livorno.
4. SIMKE   born 1726,
5. ROSE      born 1728,
6. NAHAN born 1731,
7. ELIEZER NAHAN,         born 1733,
8. DAVID born 4th October 1734
9. ISMAH ISRAEL  born 1737, wife unknown had 5 children
   9.1 Menachem  born 1771 in Livorno.
   9.2 Abram  born 1773 in Livorno – apparently died in infancy.
   9.3 Abram BORN 1776 Livorno, wife unknown had 4 children:-
   9.3.1 Mihail born 1800 Livorno, Italy.
   9.3.2 Eliazer Menahem born 1803 Livorno. 
   ^{A handwritten copy from the archives at the Jewish Community in Livorno gives “Eliazer Menahem di Elisan” (Elisao) but a typed copy from Livorno State Archives  gives “Eliazer Menahem di Abram”.Surname Ottolenghi.}
   9.3.3 Mordohai Menahem born 1804 Livorno.
   9.3.4 David born 1809 Livorno.
   
   9.4 Elisan born 1782 in Livorno.            
   9.5 Judica born 1784 in Livorno.
   
10. MOISE born 1740, married unknown and had two children               10.1 Menachem born 1774 Livorno.
    10.2 Judica born 1777 in Livorno, Italy.
11. MEIR    born 1743

Nothing is known yet about the ensuing generations in Livorno