Modernity in the Graveyard: Jewish Tombstones from Padua, 1830–1862

Abstract

In approximately 1830, a set of new characteristics displaced three centuries of sepulchral tradition in the Jewish graveyards of Padua. Epitaph poetry was abandoned, replaced by a new prose epitaph that was much longer and emphasized individuality by recording detailed information about the deceased. Tombstone design was also revolutionized, adhering to the contemporary neoclassical tradition of European art. Yet a variety of features reflect the paradox that, for all their novelty, the modern epitaphs and tombstones continued to proudly express Jewish identity.