Ghetto Nuova and Ghetto Vecchio, the Venetian Ghettos (the world's first ghetto), was an area prescribed as the living place for the Jewish people of the Venetian Republic. It was created in 1516. The Jewish people went through many economical and social persecutions throughout this development of the Ghetto. The people of Venice even went so far as to lock the ghetto gates at night, and force the Jewish people into select professions.
Although it was used as an area to segregate the Jewish people, it was also thought of as a refuge. Many Italian Jews sought relief from anti-semitism in other areas of Italy here. Under the reign of Napoleon, the ghetto gates were taken off, and the Jewish people were given equal status. It was also a save havens from the Holocaust during WWII, after Italy's fall from the Axis power.
The Italian term "Ghetto" comes from the word "slag," which was stored on the small island that the Jewish people were subjected to live on. It is also closely associated with the term "borough".
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| Bridge leading to the Ghetto. The gate hinges can still be seen. |
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| Ghetto Nuova |
I am interested in the relationship this island now has with the entirety of Venice. Is it still segregated in more ways than the people that live there? What makes it stand apart from the other neighborhoods? Does the island strive to stand apart?
This leads to other questions. Does each island have it's own experience, or is this conglomeration of islands thought of as one mass? Are the canals more than just physical boundaries?
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Current map marking the Jewish Ghetto
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| Close up of the Jewish Ghetto and it's context |
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Year unknown, post-train station. 1900s?
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| 1800 map |
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