Located in Venice, the Venetian Jewish Ghetto is the area where Jewish people had to live during the times of the Venetian Republic. It was created on the 29th of March 1516 by the Doge Leonardo Loredan and the Senate of Venice to house the increasing number of Jews. It is nowadays named Contrada dell’unione, after the occupation of Venice by General Napoleone Bonaparte which led to the dissolution of the Republic of Venice.
Let’s find out something more about the Jewish Ghetto in Venice and why you should consider visiting it!
The Location of the Venetian Jewish Ghetto
The Venetian Jewish Ghetto, commonly known as “the Ghetto” is located in the Cannaregio Sestiere in Venice and it is divided into Ghetto Nuovo and Ghetto Vecchio (respectively New Ghetto and Old Ghetto). Their names are misleading though, because according to Jewish residence, Ghetto Nuovo is technically older than Ghetto Vecchio.
An unfortunately not so surprising thing is that the Ghetto was only connected to the city of Venice by two bridges that were closed at night and opened during the day, starting in the morning when the marangona (St. Mark’s Campanile’s largest bell) would ring. The Ghetto was heavily supervised by surveillance, cost-wise covered by the Jewish residents themselves. Jews that violated the curfew imposed by the Venetian Republic were subject to strict penalties.
Jewish Culture in the Venetian Ghetto
Wandering through the Venetian Jewish Ghetto, you will be able to partially experience some Jewish culture, starting with the presence of five synagogues, four of which were divided according to ethnic identity:
- SCUOLA GRANDE TEDESCA, for the German;
- SCUOLA ITALIANA, for the Italians;
- SCUOLA SPAGNOLA, for the Spanish and Portuguese;
- SCUOLA LEVANTINA, for the Levantine Shpeardi communities;
The fifth synagogue is named Scuola Canton and it used to be private.
The Venetian Jewish Ghetto: a vibrant community today
The Venetian Jewish Ghetto is nowadays one of the most important places for the Jewish community in Venice, which counts around 500 people. The Ghetto is the location of an annual international conference on Hebrew Studies, which refers to the culture of the Venetian Ghetto.
The synagogues are still used, not only to worship but also to teach the sacred texts (Tamuld) and also to teach Modern Hebrew.
This area is also filled with typical Jewish products to try!
Conclusion
Visiting the Jewish Ghetto in Venice will surely make for a learning experience to expand your horizons and understand something more about the Jewish culture and what they had to live through during the years of the Republic of Venice. If you want to get to know more about the city of Venice, check out our other blogs and book a Venice tour with us!
