Nota in giudeo-arabo di Sicilia a margine di un atto notarile del 1442-1443

Abstract

A note in Sicilian Judeo-Arabic on a notarial deed of 1442-1443

The article presents a note in Judeo-Arabic dating back to the mid-15^th century, discovered on the back of a notarial deed preserved in the Municipal Historical Archives of Monreale, Sicily. The note concerns a sales contract between Manfredo Caczetta and a Jew from Palermo named Gallufo for the sale of 105 raṭls of white grapes. The document offers a look into the past of Monreale’s winemaking tradition, highlighting the commercial exchanges between local landowners and Jews in Palermo. A transcription of the Judeo-Arabic note is provided, accompanied by transliteration and translation, along with historical and linguistic remarks. The article also highlights the presence of the Caczetta surname in 15^th-century Sicily, with references to other commercial transactions between the Caczetta family and the Jewish community of Palermo. A possible connection is suggested between the Manfredo Caczetta mentioned in the document and other individuals bearing the same surname appearing in contemporary documentation.