The Shamama Case

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In the winter of 1873, Nissim Shamama, a wealthy Jewish merchant from Tunisia, died unexpectedly in Livorno, Italy, sparking a contentious lawsuit over his estate. The Italian courts faced the complex question of Shamama's nationality: Was he an Italian citizen, a subject of the Bey of Tunis, stateless, or was his Jewishness his nationality? This dilemma led to a decade-long legal battle involving Jews, Muslims, and Christians across the Mediterranean. The narrative follows the lawsuit's progression among Tunisia, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire, revealing that the seemingly straightforward question of Shamama's national identity was anything but simple. The case consumed over ten years, extensive legal documentation, and significant financial resources before the estate could be divided among his heirs. The story unfolds chronologically, detailing Shamama's rise in Tunis, his exile in France, and his death in Italy. It highlights the diverse cast involved in the lawsuit, including heirs, Tunisian officials, an Algerian Jewish fixer, and prominent legal figures like Pasquale Stanislao Mancini and Augusto Pierantoni. The book draws on a rich array of correspondence and legal documents in multiple languages, showcasing lives that transcended the rigid boundaries of identity in the nineteenth century Mediterranean.