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The Venetian Ghetto is the world’s original Jewish ghetto. It’s located in the sestiere (district) of Cannaregio in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Venice, Italy.
History
On March 29, 1516, the Republic of Venice declared that all Jews had to live in an area where the city’s foundries had once been located, known as “geti” in the Venetian dialect. The area was closed off from the rest of Venice and Jews had to wear a sign of identification. It was closed every night at sunset and didn’t open until sunrise the next day. Patrol boats would surround the canals to prevent anyone from leaving. After the Fall of Venice in 1797, Napoleon abolished the Ghetto and ended Jewish separation from the rest of the city.
In 1931, there were a recorded 1,814 members of the Jewish community of Venice. By 1938, when fascist laws came into effect, the population had dwindled to about 1,200. After the arrival of Nazi troops on September 8, 1943, the situation deteriorated further. Between December 5, 1943 and the summer of 1944, around 150 Jews were rounded up, sent to concentration camps, and subsequently murdered. By the end of 1945, the number of Jews in Venice had dropped to around 1,050. Today, there are only about 500 members of the Jewish community remaining.
Bridges
We entered the Ghetto by passing over one of the two bridges that led to it. The Sottoportego di Ghetto Nuovo is a bridge that leads to a passageway underneath one of the buildings. The other bridge is the Ponte di Ghetto Nuovo. Both bridges lead to the Campo di Ghetto Nuovo.
Campo di Ghetto Nuovo
Campo di Ghetto Nuovo is a large open space surrounded by buildings that are unusually tall for Venice. There are a few restaurants and shops as well as some synagogues.
Jewish Museum
On the southern corner is the Jewish Museum (Museo Ebraico), which was founded in 1953 to tell the story of the Jewish community of Venice. The museum does an excellent job of this, with captivating exhibits and interesting items on display.
Admission to the museum and a guided tour of three synagogues is €12 (as of January 2024). It’s open from Sunday to Friday. It’s also possible to book a guided tour of the Jewish cemetery on the Lido for €150 per group plus museum admission (as of January 2024), as well as private tours to two or three synagogues. Current tour information can be found on the official Venetian Ghetto website.
Red Bank
Near the museum is the Red Bank (Banco Rosso), which was the oldest of the Jewish pawn shops in the Ghetto. Jews were the only citizens allowed to run pawnshops and lend money under the Republic of Venice. Selling secondhand clothing was the other job they were allowed to perform. Unfortunately, it was closed.
Jewish Rest Home
On the north side of the Campo di Ghetto Nuovo is the Jewish Rest Home (Casa Israelitica di Riposo), founded in 1890 and still active today. During Nazi and fascist persecution, the Jews deported to concentration camps left from this building.
Memorials by Arbit Blatas
On the wall to the right of the Jewish Rest Home is a memorial by Arbit Blatas (1908-1999) called The Last Train, installed on April 25, 1980. It honors the 50th anniversary of the deportation of Jews from the Venetian Ghetto. The name and age of each Venetian Jew deported is etched into the memorial.
To the left of the Jewish Rest Home is another monument by Blatas. It also reminds visitors of the deportation of Jews, with a symbolic strand of barbed wire atop the wall.
Plaques
In addition to the memorials, you can also find plaques in the ground indicating the date and details of Jews who were deported from the Ghetto. The plaques are placed in front of the buildings where the deportations took place.
Ghetto Vecchio
The Venetian Ghetto was divided into two sections. Outside of the Campo di Ghetto Nuovo (New Ghetto) is the Ghetto Vecchio (Old Ghetto). Despite the names, the Ghetto Nuovo is actually older than the Ghetto Vecchio.
Synagogue Tour
While visiting the Venetian Ghetto, I highly recommend taking a guided tour of the synagogues via the Jewish Museum. It will help give a better understanding of life in the world’s original ghetto. You can read about my experience here.
