The Venice Ghetto: 500 Years
The Centuries-Old History of Venice's Jewish Ghetto. A look back on the 500-year history and intellectual life of one of the world's oldest Jewish quarters
Simon Worral, Smithsonian Magazine November 2015
Five hundred years ago, officials welcomed foreign Jews to Venice, but confined them to a seven-acre section of the Cannaregio district, a quarter soon known as the Ghetto after the Venetian word for copper foundry, the site's previous tenant. In March 2016 the Jewish Ghetto in Venice will celebrate its 500th anniversary with exhibitions, lectures, and the first ever production of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice in the Ghetto's main square.
Shaul Bassi, a Venetian Jewish scholar and writer, is one of the driving forces behind VeniceGhetto500, a joint project between the Jewish community and the city of Venice. Speaking from the island of Crete, he explains how the world's first "skyscrapers" were built in the Ghetto; how a young Jewish poetess presided over one of the first literary salons; and why he dreams of a multicultural future that would restore the Ghetto to the heart of Venetian life again.
Venice's Jewish Ghetto was one of the first in the world. Tell us about its history and how the geography of the city shaped its architecture. Read
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