Meshullam Volterra

Volterra was an Italian jeweler from Florence and the author of a book on jewelry, a sort of a guide to the jewelry business. He is considered as one of the most prominent and well-travelled Jews of his time.

His father, Menahem ben Aaron Volterra owned prominent loan-bank in Florence, and Meshullam participated in this family enterprise first as a partner, and later as owner of the bank. His brother Raphael was engaged in trade, but that of the books. Together with his father, Meshullam ran the lucrative business in precious stones. In the mid-15th century they accumulated a fortune of one hundred thousand ducats.

In 1481, he undertook a business or pilgrim journey to the Orient. Account of the journey has been preserved and can be found in the Laurentian library in Florence. Manuscript is considered as one of the most revealing medieval sources on Jewish life in the countries of the eastern Mediterranean.

He was friendly with Lorenzo de Medici to whom he once sent a gift of game.