1. Home
  2. Italy
  3. Venice
  4. History

Venice · History

Merchants, doges and the world's first ghetto

There is more to Venice than St Mark's. This route follows the thread of trade and coexistence from the Rialto to Cannaregio, the northern district where the Republic confined the Jews in 1516 and gave the world the word "ghetto". Along the way you will learn to read the city's street signs: calle, campo, rio, fondamenta.

  • 6 stops
  • 3 km
  • 2 h 20 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Campo del Ghetto Novo with trees and tall houses

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Fondaco dei Tedeschi and Campo San BartolomeoGerman merchants lived, ate and stored their goods here, under the watchful eye of the Republic.
  2. 2 Campo Santi Apostoli and the palace of Marino FalierThis palace was home to the only doge ever sentenced to death for betraying the Republic.
  3. 3 Ponte delle GuglieFor centuries, anyone arriving in Venice from the mainland came in along this canal and passed under this bridge.
  4. 4 The GhettoIn 1516 Venice forced its Jews to live on this enclosed island, and the place's name went on to travel the world.
  5. 5 Scuola Grande and Fondamenta della MisericordiaA gigantic confraternity hall that never got its marble facade and ended up as a basketball court.
  6. 6 Campo dei MoriThree turbaned stone merchants keep watch over this campo, and one of them has an iron nose.

Loading the map…

Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Merchants, doges and the world's first ghetto

A city of merchants

Germans, Jews, Greeks and Levantines made Venice rich, and the Republic decided where each of them could live and trade.

The Ghetto of 1516

The island of the old foundry where a word was born that is now used in every language.

The Venetians' Cannaregio

Quiet canals, confraternities, Tintoretto's house and fondamente that come alive as evening falls.

Keep exploring

More routes in Venice

Back to Venice
Mysteries & legendsCurses, executioners and rooftop escapes MixedFrom St Mark's to the Frari: the Venice you can't miss

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Venice?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Venice in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Venice in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Venice in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary