| The Jewish or Hebrew ghetto of Venice was the | | | | the area - the first Jewish school in Venice in over |
| first ghetto for Jews in Europe and was the place | | | | fifty years and there is even a kosher restaurant |
| where the word first originated. This shameful | | | | and five absolutely amazing old Synagogues. |
| part of Venice's history is little publicized. | | | | Not a very touristy district of Venice, apart from |
| A once run down and remote area of Venice | | | | the many Jews from the USA in particular who |
| Italy in the Cannaregio Sestiere (suburb) was | | | | make the journey to see an important part of |
| where Venice's Jewish population were forced to | | | | European Jewish history. The overriding impression |
| live from the 16th century until the late 18th | | | | here is of cramped buildings - because the area |
| century when Napoleon lifted the restrictions on | | | | was small the inhabitants were forced to live one |
| their movements. | | | | on top the other. |
| The ghetto was guarded, living conditions were | | | | It is an interesting area to stroll around and the |
| cramped and uncomfortable, and yet despite this | | | | sense of community still seems to be tangible. |
| the Jewish population grew to a peak of around | | | | Visit the Jewish Museum for a better |
| 7000 before declining to only 500 after World | | | | understanding of what life must have been like |
| War II and the Holocaust. | | | | here in previous centuries. The Synagogue tours |
| Now enjoying something of a revival, the Jewish | | | | that the museum undertakes are also of great |
| Venice Association is attempting to encourage | | | | interest, both from an architectural and a historical |
| Jews to return. They now have a Jewish school in | | | | point of view. |