Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto

The ancient Jewish Ghetto, today an international cultural destination, is located in the northwest part of the city in the Cannaregio district. Even today, Cannaregio maintains its typical local atmosphere, with its long, sunny fondamente (sidewalks alongside canals) where you can find lots of small shops and restaurants.

In the almost perfectly preserved Ghetto (the first by that name in the world), we can trace back the history of the Jewish Community of Venice, its relationship with the Republic, and later with the Italian government. Loan banks and second-hand clothing shops that once filled the main square have disappeared, but the richly decorated synagogues remain as do the distinctively high buildings that housed the community. Various antique shops, art galleries, and book shops make it plain that a rich culture still endures.

We'll also visit nearby, the luminous, late-Gothic church of Madonna Dell'Orto, for which Tintoretto (the building that was his home is still around the corner) painted soaring masterpieces, and where he was later buried.

Near the Abbazia (Abbey), we enjoy a view across the lagoon to the northern islands of Murano and San Michele before we meander towards the Rialto to end our walk.