Ghetto (Day 33)

It’s been really nice living in a little bubble for the past five weeks, not really knowing what is going on in the world outside Venice. I could have read the news but I haven’t. However, one thing that can’t be escaped from is Italian politics. Berlusconi, not content with being on trial for underage prostitute allegations, has added to his unbelievable repertoire by commenting that he has commissioned a survey to rename his political party, and that he might call it Forza Gnocca, which translates as Go Pussy. Nice one Silvio, are you taking leadership advice from George Bush?

I took a photo of the Arsenale lions today. I walk past them every day but have never stopped to look before. The largest one has some strange carvings on its side, commonly thought to be runes.  

I also pass this gargoyle every day at the base of the Campanile of Santa Maria Formosa, made famous in Ruskin’s ‘Stones of Venice’, about which he said this face showed a man in such a state of depravity he could barely look upon it. They were sensitive back then, or we’ve become numb to this sort of thing as there’s so much worse on TV, or Ruskin was just a bit wet.  

This evening I set out to see the Ghetto area. I’ve been meaning to do it for a while but today is the festival of Yom Kippur, so I thought it was a good time to go. On Yom Kippur Jewish people are expected to fast, pray, not work, not wear leather shoes and not anoint themselves with perfumes.

In the 16^th century, the North West area of Venice that was once the foundry (Geto in Venetian dialect) became the area where the city’s Jewish population were moved. It is the original ghetto. They had to obey strict rules and pay higher taxes, higher rents and wear hats so that they could be identified. They were locked in between sunset and sunrise and had to pay the Christian guards who patrolled the perimeter out of their own pockets. Despite all of this it is believed that Jews were treated with much more respect in Venice than in most other places and were generally physically safe. The Venetians accommodated them as they were good business men.

Before WW2 there were 1500 Jews living in the Ghetto in Venice, but in 1943 and 1944 they were moved to extermination camps. Only eight survived. In 2009 there were 33 Jewish residents registered as living in Venice.

The houses in the Ghetto are taller and more tightly packed than in the rest of Venice as there was a limited area for residents, so anyone arriving would have to be accommodated by building upwards. As you come into the main square there is a perfect example of this, a building 7 storeys high, which is unusual for Venice.

I arrived in the main square where there was a service being held in a small shop.

On this square there is also the holocaust memorial.

Going over a bridge from the main square you can see onto a roof, where there is a custom for throwing disposable razors. I don’t know why this is, but am guessing it has something to do with the history of the Jewish religion and rules about shaving.

Everywhere away from the main square was eerily quiet. I wandered around for a bit but would like to go back in the daytime when I can see where I’m going. It was cheaper in the Ghetto too, and there were some really lovely looking cafes and bars that I’d like to sample.

I got home and finally had a chance to satisfy my pie craving.