ABSTRACT

On 10 June 1449, three people sat down to formalize a contract in the central Italian city of Perugia. One of these was a Christian notary, Mariano di Luca di Nino. The remaining two-a Jewess, Rema, and her son-inlaw, Abraham-until this point had been partners in banking and property management, along with Rema’s deceased husband, Jacob. The terms of this notarial contract indicate that Rema, not Abraham, took over the family business-a loan bank-upon Jacob’s death. Unless Rema chose to leave the family by remarrying, Abraham would remain the junior partner, for in addition to acquiring the bulk of Jacob’s estate, Rema also retained control of the bank. Undeniably, Rema became the head of the household and the family business upon her husband’s death.1