On July 1, 1581, Pope Gregory XIII issued a decree that dramatically changed Jewish life in Italy: he expanded the Roman Inquisition’s authority so it could investigate and prosecute practicing Jews, not just Christian “heretics.” Suddenly, the Inquisition claimed oversight of a wide range of alleged offenses Jews might commit under canon law and papal decrees—turning everyday Jewish life into potential legal peril. In this session, we’ll follow the story in Northern Italy through the rare, surviving inquisitorial trial records from Modena—the only intact collection of its kind—bringing us into the courtroom, the streets, and the strategies of communal survival. How did Jews respond when a powerful new institution set its sights on them, and what creative legal, communal, and diplomatic tools did they use to defend themselves? Expect a gripping, archival “true story” look at Jewish resilience under papal power.