Description of the attraction
The Venetian Ghetto is the historic quarter of Venice, located in the Cannaregio area. The first Jews appeared in the city in the 12th century, then they settled mainly on the island of Giudecca. However, in 1516, the Venetian Council of Ten, at the request of the Pope, resettled all Jews to the Cannaregio area, which was named Ghetto Nuovo - "new smelter". It is from here that the name of the ghetto came, which is today used all over the world to designate Jewish enclaves.
The Venetian ghetto was connected to the rest of the city by three bridges, which were closed by gates at night. At first, only doctors had the right to leave the ghetto at night, and later, such a right was given to everyone, provided that everyone who went out had to wear a special headdress and a yellow insignia. Interestingly, all synagogues in the ghetto were built by Christian architects, since the Jews themselves were forbidden to engage in arts and some crafts.
Over time, the number of Jews in Venice increased, and houses up to 8 stories high had to be built in the ghetto to accommodate all residents. In 1541, the Vecchio Ghetto, the Old Ghetto, appeared, and a century later, the Novissimo Ghetto - New. Even then, there were over 5 thousand Jews in Venice and 5 synagogues for different denominations. Only in 1797, by order of Napoleon, the ghetto gates were temporarily liquidated. They were finally demolished only in 1866.
Today, on the territory of the Venetian ghetto, you can see a stone slab on which it is written that a baptized Jew who secretly observes Jewish rites will be severely punished. There is also a monument to the victims of the Holocaust, created by the sculptor Arbit Blatas. Tourists can explore the Museum of Jewish Art, two synagogues and the Renato Maestro Jewish Library, and dine at a kosher restaurant.
