The Jewish Ghetto of Venice is identified by the unusually tall residential buildings that loom over the main square, the Campo del Ghetto Nuovo. To fit an increasing population within a confined island space surrounded by canals, the…
The Venetian Ghetto
This walk traces the origins and growth of the world's oldest ghetto, from its expansion across three distinct historic quarters to its famous synagogues.
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1. Jewish Quarter
2. Ponte de Gheto Novo
The Ponte de Gheto Novo is one of the original bridges providing access to the first Jewish ghetto in history. You can identify it by the neat wooden railings that span the rio della Misericordia, leading directly into the heart of the…
3. Great German Scola
The Scola Grande Tedesca is identifiable from the square by five large windows arranged in a row, the only outward sign of the synagogue tucked into the upper floors of the surrounding buildings. Founded in fifteen twenty-eight by the…
4. Italian Synagogue
The Italian Synagogue is recognizable from the campo of the Ghetto Nuovo by five large, arched windows set into a nondescript facade, topped by a small baroque dome rising over the apse. Built in fifteen seventy-five to serve the local…
5. Calle Ghetto Vecchio
Calle Ghetto Vecchio is identified by the narrow, elongated streetscape that served as the commercial and intellectual backbone of this historical district. While its name translates to Old Ghetto, it was actually the second area…
6. Sinagoga Levantina
The Sinagoga Levantina is defined by a plain, severe exterior that conceals an exceptionally intricate Baroque interior. Located in the Cannaregio district on the Campiello delle Scuole, the synagogue is identifiable from the outside…
7. Sinagoga Spagnola
The Sinagoga Spagnola stands in the Jewish Ghetto of Venice as the largest and most prominent of the city’s historic synagogues. Its exterior features an austere facade with four large arched windows on the primary floor and a row of…