Venice jewish ghetto - Venicegroupservices EN

News | Venicegroupservices

Jewish Ghetto Venice

The presence of Jews in the region that would become the Republic of Venice has been documented since the first centuries of the Vulgar Era.

According to tradition, they arrived in Venice, a major trading center between East and West, around the beginning of the 11th century.

Gradually, despite alternating moments of “permission” and “prohibition,” the number and importance of Jews in Venice.

It grew considerably, so much so that on March 29, 1516, the Republic found it necessary to issue a decree to organize their presence.

The Serenissima

Republic obliged the Jews to live in an area of the city where the foundries, called “geti” in Venetian

They were formerly located, to wear a sign of recognition, and to operate the city’s pawnshops at the rates set by the Serenissima.

Many other onerous regulations were also included, in return for which the community obtained freedom to practice their faith and protection in case of war.

Jewish Ghetto Venice and the Ashkenazis

The first Jews to comply with the decree were Ashkenazis from East Central Europe.

Their guttural pronunciation mangled the Venetian term “geto” into “ghetto,” creating the word still used today to refer to various places of marginalization.

The “Gheto”

The “Gheto” was closed during the night, and Christian guard boats scoured the surrounding canals to prevent nighttime violations.

Thus the first ghetto in Europe was born.

Synagogues

Known as “Scole,” the synagogues of the Venetian ghetto were built between the early 16th and mid-17th centuries.

Each represented a different ethnic group that had settled here permanently and had been granted religious freedom.

Tthe German and Cantonese “Scole” practiced the Ashkenazi rite.

Venice jewish ghetto – the Sephardic rite

The Italian ones the Italian rite and the Levantine and Spanish ones the Sephardic rite.

Despite some later interventions, these synagogues have remained intact over time and testify to the importance of the Venetian ghetto.

The unusual tall buildings found here were divided into floors of lower than normal height, showing how the population density had increased over the years.

Take a look at our walking tours…