August 15 Ghetto Nuovo & Vecchio

We were deposited at the right stop - we thought, but it took us a while to find the Jewish ghetto and we weren’t the only ones scanning maps and phones, but after a few dead ends we finally got there. This ghetto is supposedly the oldest of its kind in Europe dating back to the early 1500s when the Pope of the day ordered Venice to expel all Jews from the city. The Venetian government chose not to but instead it locked them on a swampy Venetian island in northern Venice - thus was formed the Ghetto Vecchio. That island and a connected island (established later, Ghetto Nuovo), became home to Venetian Jews. Some theories claim that the English word ghetto is derived from the Jewish ghetto in Venice, but there are a number of theories around the origin of the name.

Rather an intriguing building facade. Is it crumbing or ??

A dead end in a quiet private garden - we reached a number of these

A hidden garden with passionfruit hanging over the fence. Wish they had been ripe!

Ghetto Vecchio - we think

One of the entrances to the ghetto

Part of the ghetto - fairly dismal looking

Edge of the ghetto - it was surrounded by water

You could see where the gate hinges once were attached - it was a closed community

We came upon many dark passages

This is the Ghetto Bridge

The Ghetto Nuovo passed over this canal

Lindsay crossing the bridge into Ghetto Nuovo

The central square of the ghetto had a feeling of sombre tranquility

Behind that table was a synagogue

One had a sense of disbelief learning about the past of this group of Venetians and also a sense of horror.  It was fairly bleak walking through the streets. When we emerged into the central square however it was light and open but the tranquility felt rather sombre. There are five synagogues in the ghetto, all hidden unsurprisingly. When we were leaving there was a 'service' of some sort going on. Before that, young Jewish residents were approaching visitors to invite them to the synagogue (I imagine they needed to be Jewish).  We were obviously not Jewish so weren't approached.

WWII Memorial wall

One wall of the central square was a memorial wall with seven plaques depicting the horrors on the WWII camps. An armed guard kept watch over the courtyard. The barbed wire atop this wall was rather chilling.  .

Ponte de Ghetto Vecchio linking the old and new ghettos 

Wonderful to escape to the tranquility outside the ghetto canals

After wandering the ghetto area, we were thoroughly pooped and not a little heat-struck so we found a place for yet another cold drink - we’ve never drunk so much beer and Aperol Spritz in our lives. Our energy was at a pretty low ebb so rather than walk back to our hotel, heaven knows how far away, we tackled the waterbus system and then collapsed with yet another cold drink or two. Later we ventured out to our local bar for ‘dinner’. So lovely, no tourists just locals.  Good local wine, bread and olive oil followed by tagliatelle with pistachio cream and bacon. Delicious. We were stuffed but our host insisted on us trying their limoncello. It was delicious.