Decree, issued by Pope Leo XII, to the Jews of Vatican City [Present-day Vatican City]: “1. As of today, all Jews are prohibited from purchasing any kind of real estate. 2. Those [Jews] who are currently in possession of such estates have until December 31, 1832, to sell them – not through sham contracts, but through real and true agreements of sale. After said deadline, the government will automatically become the executor of such estates, under complete exclusion of the owners. 3. The Holy Father reserves the right to invoke the afore-mentioned executorship sooner and whenever he decides to do so, if any Jews, during the course of the five years, should be responsible for any abuse or disarray on their properties or with regard to them. 4. Real estate includes: Country estates, city lots outside of the ghettoes, grades, canyons, and any acquisition rights regarding real estate. 5. Should any circumvention of the above regulations be detected during the sale of real estate, the seller as well as the buyer will suffer the loss of the real estate in question to the Apostolic Chamber.”
Jost, Isaak Markus. Geschichte der Israeliten seit der Zeit der Maccabäer bis auf unsre Tage: Neuere Geschichte der Israeliten von 1815 bis 1845; 2. Die Staaten und Länder außer Deutschland: mit Nachträgen und Berichtigungen zur älteren Geschichte, Band 10, Teil 2 (History of the Israelites from the time of the Maccabees to our present days: Recent history of the Israelites from 1815 until 1845; 2. The states and countries other than Germany: with appendices and corrections of older history, Vol. 10, Part 2). Schlesinger: Berlin, 1847. Page 281. Researched by Dominik Jacobs 5/3/2020