Cheryl

Can anyone tell me about the sites and places in the Ghetto. I am not Jewish but somehow the idea of visiting this area in a 14th century setting has great appeal---places to see and to eat. Perhaps I'm being too romantic?

elvira

This is the website that this shikseh used to find out about the ghetto: <BR>http://www.doge.it/ghetto/indexi.htm

Walter

Try this site also www.jewishvenice.org/ do any of the "click-ons" on the left of the page and it will give you some good links. HTH Regards, Walter <BR>p.s. You can never be *too* romantic in life. <BR>

elaine

Cheryl <BR>In the ghetto are a small Jewish museum, five synagogues, not all of which are open to the public at any one time <BR>(guided tours are offered) and a large public square that is rather barren but you will see some memorial plaques on some of the walls. Coming frmo the Canareggio section, as you pass under the archway in the wall to enter the Ghetto, you can still see the holes in the archway which held the hinges for the gates that were locked at night. Because the area was walled in, the buildings expanded upward rather than outward, and are taller than the Venice average. It does not appear to be a very prosperous part of town. The walk through Canareggio is also very interesting, lots of shops and restaurants that are less expensive than those around San Marco.

luigi

Cheryl, <BR>Just to emphasize or clarify what Elaine said, not only are the synagogues not open to the public at one time, they are not "open" to the "public" at all! We were there in March and tried to follow a tour group that was going in and the guide told us we couldn't even go in and take a quick peek. <BR> <BR>You MUST go to the Museum and sign up with a tour group to go inside. I am not sure what the cost was, but I know they run fairly often so if you want to go, it should be fairly easy. <BR> <BR>I know I have recommended this before, but if you really want to see some off the beaten track areas of Venice, get a copy of VeniceWalks. Among others, they do a very nice walk that takes you through the Ghetto and tells quite a bit of history of how it came to be, as well as the current status. <BR>ciao e buon viaggio, <BR>luigi

TinderS

I'd highly recommend going to the ghetto area. It's interesting, and if you peek into various storefronts, you can see Hasidic Jews praying and see Jewish historic documents and wares. Plus the Holocaust wall is simple but quite moving. Just remember not to stand and gawk at folks going about their daily rituals.

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elaine

for Cheryl

Paulo

The Ghetto in Venice was the first area where Jews were confined in history. As a matter of fact, the word "ghetto" derives from "getto", which in Venetian dialect means "to found" (iron in this case). The first area to be occupied was an island that hosted a foundry that was called "Ghetto Nuovo". There was another foundry called Ghetto Vecchio in the area occupied actually later by the expanding jewish community. The third area to be occupied by Jews in 1633 is called Ghetto Novissiomo. <BR> <BR>Indeed, the only way to visit the synagogues is by taking a guided tour at the Museum. Guided tours are held each hour in Italian and English. Tours in French, Speanish and German may also be arranged. In summer 1997 we payed Lit 10,000 to visit the museum and 3 of the synagogues - Scuola Tedesca (1528; the oldest and most beautiful), Scuola Canton (1531) and Scuola Italiana (1575) in Campo di Ghetto Nuovo, and Scuola Levantina (1538) and Scuola Spagnola (1555 or 1584; the largest, with its interior rebuild by Longhena around 1655) in Ghetto Vecchio. Which 3 are visited on a particular day/time depnend on religious services being held at the moment of the tour. The different synagogue names derive from the rites that were (some of which still are) performed and not from the origin of the different jewish communities. <BR> <BR>The whole area of the Ghetto in Venice is one of the quietest in town. In the vicinities of the Ghetto there are a few osterie like Gam-Gam (kasher food) and Fontana (both on the Fondamenta ligned with the Cannaregio Canal), Bacco and Barada (to the north) and Bentigodi to the east. In large Campo di Ghetto Nuovo there's a bar of sorts for snacks and drinks while resting and breathing the peace of the place. <BR> <BR>Normally a visit to the Ghetto should be coupled with a more complete strolling tour in Cannaregio (San Alvise and Madonna dell'Orto churches, Campo dei Mori, etc) which may extend itslef into the Castello sestiere (Gesuiti church, San Zanipoló Basilica, etc). <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

Cheryl

Thanks to the responders. I really do know how this forum works and just couldn't find my posting and it timed out when I went into search mode. Anyway, thanks for the help--We leave in a week and I am looking foward to our travels in Italy. <BR>

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Mark

We were there in 1998 and enjoyed speaking to some of the shop owners about their family's history in Venice, some stretching back to the 14 & 15th century. There are some great Judaica stores and you can buy Merano glass mezzuzahs and menorahs.