Jewish settlements have existed throughout Italy and Sicilia since the time of the Roman Empire. From the time of the Republic through the Middle Ages, Jews lived mostly in Roma and in the Regno delle due Sicilie. Few lived in the north until they began migrating there in the thirteenth century. Jewish migration to Italy increased dramatically in 1492 when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, rulers of the Regno delle due Sicilie, exiled all Jews who would not convert to Christianity. The Spanish Inquisition forced many Jews to move to Roma and the surrounding area and also to major cities in the north such as Milano, Torino, Genova, Firenze, and Venezia.

The Jewish population reached its highest mark in the seventeenth century at about 50,000. Since then it has suffered a steady decline, especially during World WarII.