Editing Marrano (section)

==Conversos in Italy==
Although the vast majority of Spain's 250,000 ''conversos'' had abandoned Judaism and been assimilated into Spain's dominant Catholic culture, many of those continuing to secretly practice their former religion felt threatened and persecuted by the Inquisition which continued to actively persecute heresy. Some of these chose to leave Spain, in bands or as individual refugees. Many migrated to Italy, attracted by the climate, which resembled that of the Iberian Peninsula, and by the kindred language. When they settled at [[Ferrara]], Duke [[Ercole I d'Este]] granted them privileges. His son [[Alfonso I d'Este|Alfonso]] confirmed the privileges to twenty-one Spanish ''conversos'': physicians, merchants, and others (ib. xv. 113 et seq.). A thoroughly researched history of these migrations is also contained in the book about one of their leaders Dona Gracia Nasi called, "The Woman Who Defied Kings", by the historian and journalist Andree Aelion Brooks.

Spanish and Portuguese ''conversos'' also settled at [[Florence]] and contributed to make [[Livorno]] a leading seaport. They received privileges at [[Venice]], where they were protected from the persecutions of the Inquisition. In [[Milan]] they materially advanced the interests of the city with their industry and commerce. At [[Bologna]], [[Pisa]], [[Naples]], and numerous other Italian cities, they freely exercised the Jewish religion again. They were soon so numerous that Fernando de Goes Loureiro, an abbot from [[Porto]], filled an entire book with the names of ''conversos'' who had drawn large sums from Portugal and had openly avowed Judaism in Italy.

In [[Piedmont (Italy)|Piedmont]], Duke [[Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy|Emmanuel Philibert]] of [[Savoy]] welcomed ''conversos'' from [[Coimbra|Coímbra]] and granted them commercial and industrial privileges, as well as the free exercise of their religion. Rome was full of ''conversos''. Pope [[Paul III]] received them at [[Ancona]] for commercial reasons. He granted complete liberty "to all persons from Portugal and [[Algarve]], even if belonging to the class of New Christians." By 1553 three thousand Portuguese Jews and ''conversos'' were living at Ancona.

Two years later, [[Pope Paul IV]] issued orders to have all the ''conversos'' in Papal states be thrown into the prisons of the Inquisition which he had instituted. Sixty of them, who acknowledged the Catholic faith as penitents, were transported to the island of [[Malta]]; twenty-four, who adhered to Judaism, were publicly burned (May 1556). Those who escaped the Inquisition were received at [[Pesaro]] by [[Guidobaldo II della Rovere]], Duke of Urbino. Guidobaldo had hoped to have the Jews and ''conversos'' of Turkey select Pesaro as a commercial center; when that did not happen, he expelled the New Christians from Pesaro and other districts in 1558 (ib. xvi. 61 et seq.).

Many ''conversos'' also went to [[Dubrovnik]], formerly a considerable [[Croatia]]n seaport on the [[Adriatic Sea]]. In May 1544, a ship landed there filled with Portuguese refugees.