11 Facts About Joseph Nasi

Joseph Nasi was a great benefactor of the Jewish people.

Joseph Nasi supported a war with the Republic of Venice, at the end of which Venice lost the island of Cyprus to the Ottomans.

Joseph Nasi escaped to Portugal after Charles decided to confiscate the Mendes fortune, and, after the Holy Inquisition began operating against Portuguese Marranos in 1546, moved to Antwerp, in the Habsburg Netherlands, with his aunt, Dona Gracia Mendes Nasi, whose daughter Ana he later married.

Joseph Nasi studied at the University of Louvain, but had to flee the Inquisition in 1547.

Joseph Nasi then moved to France and later to Venice, before finally leaving for the Ottoman realm in 1554, where he married his cousin Brianda Mendes .

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When he arrived in Constantinople together with his aunt Gracia Mendes Joseph Nasi, Joseph Nasi made a fortunate decision in supporting the future sultan Selim II, against his rival Bayezid; as a result, he was favored by the Seraglio, and eventually became a high-ranking diplomat and minister.

Joseph Nasi was awarded the monopoly of the beeswax trade with Poland, and of the wine trade with Moldavia, and maneuvered in the latter country to keep princes favorable to his policies in power.

In 1561, Joseph Nasi backed Ioan Iacob Heraclid to rule as despot, supported Alexandru Lapusneanu's return to the throne in place of Stefan Tomsa, and ultimately endorsed Ion Voda cel Cumplit ; he was himself considered a suitable choice for hospodar of either Moldavia or Wallachia in 1571, but Selim II rejected the proposal.

Joseph Nasi is best known for his attempt to resettle the towns of Tiberias and Safed in 1561.

Joseph Nasi was the first person to attempt to settle Jews in the cities of what was then Palestine by practical means, as opposed to waiting for the Messiah.

Joseph Nasi attempted to turn it into a textile center by planting mulberry trees and encouraging craftsmen to move there.