Ca’ Pozzo and the Jewish Ghetto
If you wish to avoid the oppressive Carnival crowds of tourists and breathe the authentic atmosphere of old Venice, you should stay for a few days in the neighborhood of Canareggio.
The recently opened Ca’ Pozzo, (Splendida, Luxury and Character Design Hotels), is the perfect place to stay. Situated near a local fish market, its characteristic portego (entrance hall) and a small internal courtyard faces the oldest Jewish Guetto in Europe. It is immersed in a unique atmosphere of tranquility; a small treasure and a must, to be explored.
The Ca’ Pozzo Inn combines the purity and balance of a minimalist design with the comforts of a Venetian Hotel situated in the old town center. With its exclusive Venetian style floor treatment, the precious woods used, the marble on the walls, and the permanent exhibition by Michele Pornaro, a young Italian artist, you can be surprised of how history and tradition can harmoniously blend with contemporary art and design.
This year, the neighborhood of Canareggio is responsible for the taste, in one of the six senses of this year Carnival Sensation, (six senses for 6 neighborhoods ) theme. La Grande Abuffata (the large stuffing banquet) offers piles of sweets, drinks and Venetian delicacies on stands strategically placed around the neighborhood.
After the wild parties of the last three nights, staying at Ca’ Pozzo is at the present moment an extremely pleasant and regenerating experience. A quick walk to the market to grab fresh fruits , a spremuta de arancie from Sicily (freshly squeezed orange juice) Chiacchere and a Mozzarella Fior di Latte and I am ready to visit the famous next door Jewish Guetto.
From which the word “Ghetto” derived, the Jewish ghetto of Venice is the world’s oldest. Until 1385, when the first Jews began to settle in Venice , Jews were only allowed to come to Venice for money-lending purposes. But, in 1385, when the city was involved in a war with nearby Chioggia , they needed loans from Jewish money-lenders to finance their campaign and so they allowed Jews to move into the city.
Although, the Jews never were allowed to properly assimilate into the city’s population, and in 1516, the ruling council of Venice confined all Jews to a small area of the city. Where, at night, all routes leading in an out of the ghetto were guarded and sealed by locked gates. The Jews had limitations set on their economic activities in Venice. They were only allowed to have pawn shops, trade textiles and practice medicine.
Whenever the Jews left the Ghetto area the men had to wear a yellow circle stitched on the left shoulder, while the women wore a yellow scarf. The first Jews to settle in the Ghetto of Venice were central European Ashkenazim, who constructed two synagogues: in 1528, the Scola Grande Tedesca, and later in 1532, the Scola Canton. They are still intact, and occupy the rooms above and adjacent to the Jewish museum.
In an area where space was limited, the Jews had no real choice but to build their synagogues in the attic storeys of buildings as Jewish law forbids that anything should come between the synagogue and the sky.
The next group of Jews to arrive in Venice were the Levantine, who got their neighborhood granted to them in 1541, as part of an expansion of the Jewish ghetto. This area today, is known as the “new Ghetto“. The Levantine Jews were rich enough to build their synagogue on the ground, and the rich red and gold interior of the Levantine synagogue is particularly special.
Mixed in with the Levantine and Ashkenazim Jews, were Italian Jews who migrated north to Venice from the central and southern parts of the peninsula.
In 1575, the Italians built their own synagogue, the Scola Italiana, which was built on of apartments. The structure features a cupola which is barely visible from the square below. Around 1650, the Ghettos population reached a peak at 4,000 inhabitants. A feat hard to believe as you wonder around today, an area no bigger than two and a half city blocks. Before the second world war, there were still 1300 Jews living in the Ghetto. Of those, 289 were deported by the Nazi’s, and only seven returned.
Today, along with neighboring Mestre on the mainland, Venice boasts a population of 600 Jews. Even though the ghetto continues to be the center of community activities for the Jewish community, very few Jews continue to live in the ghetto.
Many art Galleries featuring Jewish artists, like The Studio with a vast range of Judaica, in which it specializes books, prints greeting cards, and original works of art by various Israeli artists. They also have a gallery in Israel in the old Tel Aviv neighborhood of Yaffa where they are part with the artist intervention of a marvelous international project teaching visually through art, the Torah to children , called Visual Torah.
Typical restaurants with delicious Falafels , Pita bread and Hummos a Yeshiva and the three synagogues can be visited on a 40 minutes guided tour.
But, at least, the ancient stones remain to tell the story of another time, when a small united community living in Medieval skyscrapers, found their home in the Venetian lagoon.
Joelle’s Tips:
The Design Hotel:
Ca Pozzo Inn
Cannaregio 1279 - 30121 Venice Canareggio. Rooms are comfortable, new . Price is affordable. You need though traghettos transportation to go to the Piazza and the Rialto Bridge. Splendida customer service available 7 days a week: Monday-Friday 07:00-22:00 GMT and weekends 08:00-20:00 GMT. Tel for the US: 1 607 33 0093
The Museum: The Jewish Museum of Venice
The Jewish Museum of Venice was opened in 1955 and was renewed in 1986, when it was enriched with many donations. In its rooms, you will find materials, silver objects and valuables used during prayer and to decorate the synagogues: Ataroth, Chuppoth, Ketubboth, Meghilloth, Meilim, Menoroth, Parochoth, Rimmonim, Shofaroth, Tallitot, Yaddaim.
Phone: ++39-041-715359 Fax: ++39-041-723007
Open every day except Saturday and Jewish Holidays, December 25th, January 1st, May 1st
From October 1st-May 31st open 10:00-16:30 From June 1st-September 30th open 10:00 -19:00
Guided tour of the Synagogues (every half hour beginning at 10:30)
The links: Jewish virtual tour Venice
The Org Project: The Visual Torah ,changing the medium and the methods. Contact Shlomo Perelman tel 1 412 3220.Murray Ave. Pitsburg, Pa 15217.e-mail:shlomo@judaism.com
The Art Gallery:
The Studio in Venice: 1152, Canareggio 30121 Venice Tel: + 39 041 520 8997 e-mail : baker@netvision.net.il
