L’Identité judéo-marocaine à la fin du XVIIIème siècle dans le récit de voyage Périple en pays arabe
Jewish-Moroccan Identity at the End of the 18th Century in the Travel Narrative Périple en pays arabe

Summary/Abstract: In this article, we propose a study of the Jewish-Moroccan identity evoked in Périple en pays arabe, the travel memoirs of Samuel Romanelli, a Jewish-Italian poet and scholar who travelled to Morocco between 1787 and 1790. This account, published in Hebrew but translated into French, constitutes the first travelogue to Morocco by a Jew.Samuel Romanelli paints a picture of the cities of the Sharifian Empire, their urban structure, their layout, the homes of Moroccan Jews and their decorative style. Through his descriptive eye and literary style, Romanelli depicts the clothing style of Jews and Muslims and narrates the Jewish-Moroccan customs of family events such as birth, circumcision, betrothal, marriage, and mourning. By presenting synagogues, which he compares with those of the West, as well as by evoking celebrations specific to Moroccan Judaism, such as the Mimouna, Romanelli immerses the reader in Jewish-Moroccan religious and social life at the end of the 18th century. The writer’s narrative brings to light Jewish-Muslim coexistence, as well as Jewish-Moroccan identity and memory.

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