שמואל רומנלי

Samuel (Shmuel) Aharon Romanelli (1757-1814), poet, maskil and traveler, born in Mantua, Italy. He led a nomadic lifestyle, constantly moving from one place to another throughout his life. His travels and sojourns included Lille, London, Gibraltar, Morocco, Amsterdam, The Hague, Berlin, Hanover, Vienna, Trieste, Genoa, Mantua, Torino, Alessandria, and Casale Monferrato in Italy. His opinions and behavior often led to his expulsion from Jewish communities due to his tendency to mock and taunt community leaders and rabbis, as well as his disregard for Torah and mitzvot.  

During the late 1780s, Romanelli spent about four years in Morocco, accompanying a Jewish merchant on his travels. His notable book, Massa' ba-'Arab (1792), recounts his experiences and impressions of the Jews and Arabs in Morocco. As an advocate of the Enlightenment movement, Romanelli critically and satirically portrayed what he deemed as ignorant and primitive customs of the Moroccans. Consequently, the reliability of his descriptions is questioned by contemporary scholars. Nonetheless, his vivid and evocative writing style contributed to the book's popularity during that era and its subsequent historical significance. The book saw numerous editions and translations, including English and German versions.  

During his stay in Berlin from around 1790 to 1793, Romanelli became associated with the Massif circle and developed a close connection with David Friedlander. Financial support from Friedlander's father-in-law, Daniel Itzig, sustained Romanelli during this period. In honor of Itzig's daughter's wedding, Romanelli published a dramatic play titled Ha-Ḳolot Yeḥdalun or Mishpaṭ Shalom ("The Voices of Hadalon, or Mishpat Shalom").   

In Vienna, Romanelli worked as a typewriter and editor at Anton Schmid's printing house. There, he published a Hebrew-Italian play based on Greek mythology titled Tapuaḥ Zahav ("Golden Apples", 1810). In 1807, in Mantua, he printed the book Zimrat 'Aritzim ("Singer of Tyrants") which contained his Italian translations of songs of praise written by Jewish rabbis and dignitaries in honor of Napoleon's Sanhedrin. Mahaze Shadi, a collection of Hebrew and Italian poems, was published by Romanelli in Mantua in 1808. He died in Casale Monferrato, Italy.