Archivio tag: history

Venezia Le Bocche di Leone

Le Bocche di Leone

si possono ancora vedere a Venezia, nonostante risalgono ai tempi della Serenissima
Tutt’ora si possono ammirare, per la loro spettacolarità a Palazzo Ducale, sul muro della chiesa di S. Maria della Visitazione alle Zattere, sulla Chiesa di S. Martino a Castello, e quella di S. Moisè a San Marco.
Dopo il tentativo di colpo di stato di Baiamonte Tiepolo, nel 1310,furono costruite a Venezia diverse Bocche di Leone ( Boche de Leon) o Bocche per le denunce segrete (boche de le denuntie), simili alle nostre cassette postali. Le denunce potevano riguardare vari tipi di reati tra i quali l’inadempienza alla sanità, la bestemmia o l’evasione fiscale.Quindi erano distribuite almeno una in ogni sestiere, vicino a collocazioni della Magistratura, a Palazzo Ducale o alle chiese, e servivano a raccogliere notizie, delazioni o segnalazioni contro coloro che si macchiavano dei crimini più vari.

Si chiamavano così perché nei bassorilievi di marmo bianco era scolpita l’immagine di un muso di leone,a ricordare il leone di san Marco, simbolo dello Stato veneziano ,o una faccia dall’espressione cattiva.Al posto della bocca vi era una buca per inserire dei fogli di carta con le denunce segrete.Solo i Capi del Sestiere potevano accedere al retro del muro dove erano poste le varie cassette. Delle volte si trattava di delazioni prive di ogni fondamento, dovute all’invidia o all’odio di una persona verso l’altra, altre volte invece queste segnalazioni salvarono la sicurezza della Serenissima.

I Savi dei Dieci e i Consiglieri dei Dieci accettavano le denunce anonime solo se si trattava di affari di Stato, con l’approvazione dei cinque sesti dei votanti Non era però così facile, come si può pensare, accusare qualcuno. Nel 1387 il Consiglio dei Dieci ordinava che le accuse anonime inviate tramite lettera, senza firma dell’accusatore e senza attendibili testimoni d’accusa sulle circostanze segnalate, dovevano essere bruciate senza tenerne minimamente conto.

Nel 1542 fu decretata una legge che stabiliva l’accettazione delle denunce solo se venivano citati almeno tre testimoni presenti al fatto.Le denunce segrete più pericolose erano quelle che venivano presentate con l’accusa di tradimento e cospirazione ai danni dello Stato.Tramite le Bocche di Leone e le denunce segrete furono quindi scoperti molti reati di cui non si sarebbe mai venuto a conoscenza, con gravi danni per la Repubblica di Venezia. Probabilmente però vennero anche accusati e imprigionati degli innocenti.
Il Consiglio dei Dieci applicava con scrupolosità la legge stabilita dagli “Avogadri dello Stato”.Era necessario indagare scrupolosamente per stabilire la verità, con giustizia e chiarezza, non giudicare nessuno in base ai sospetti, ma ricercare le prove concretamente, ed alla fine pronunciare una sentenza giusta.

Naturalmente, in questi giorni si può semplicemente inviare le tue denunce via e-mail direttamente al Comune di Venezia, anche se devo chiedermi se qualcuno controlla ancora le bocche di rimostranze casuali ,lasciate nel cuore della notte ,da qualche veneziano meno abituato al computer .

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Venezia The ” Mouths of the Leon”

The ” Mouths of the Leon”

(Bocche del leone) can still be seen in Venice, despite dating back to the times of the Serenissima republic.Still can be admired for their spectacular on Palazzo Ducale, on the wall of the church of S. Mary of the Visitation (Maria della visitasione a Zattere), the Church of St. Martin ( Castello), and St. Moses (in San Marco district)
After the attempted coup tented by Baiamonte Tiepolo, in 1310, were built in Venice several “Bocche di leone ” (Boche de Leon) or Mouths for the secret complaints (the Boche de le denuntie), similar to nowdays post boxes.It is so called because in the reliefs of white marble was carved an image of a face of a lion,to remember the lion of St. Mark, the symbol of the Venetian state, or a bad face expression.In place of the mouth there was a hole to insert sheets of paper with the secret complaints.

The complaints could relate various types of crimes including the non-compliance to health,blasphemy or tax evasion . Were distributed at least one in each district, near the Judiciary places, the Doge’s Palace or the churches, and were used to collect information,reports or accusations against those who did the various crimes.

Only the heads of the District could go to the back of the wall where the various cassettes was, whose keys were kept by the Magistrates, and each of them picked up the accusations for a different type of offense: on charges of tax evasion, related to the blasphemers, and various others.

Sometimes it was accusations without foundation, due to envy or hatred of a person to the other,otherwise these reports saved the safety of the Serenissima.

The Elders of the Ten (I Savi dei Dieci) and the Directors of the Ten ( Consiglieri dei Dieci) accept anonymous complaints only if at stake was the State safety ,and with the approval of the five/sixths of the voters. But it was not so easy as you may think , to accuse someone. In 1387 the Council of Ten ordered that anonymous allegations sent,without signature of the accuser and without reliable witnesses for the prosecution on the circumstances reported , were to be burned without take no account .

In 1542 it was decreed a law that established the acceptance of complaints were quoted only if at least three witnesses was present at the event .
The most dangerous secret denunciations were those who were presented with
charges of treason and conspiracy against the State.Through the mouths of the lion and the secret complaints were discovered many crimes of which would never come to the attention, with serious damage to the Republic of Venice. Probably , however, were also accused and imprisoned the innocents.
The Council of Ten scrupulously applied the law established by the “Avogadri dello Stato” investigators.It was necessary to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the truth , justice and clarity , do not judge anyone on the basis of suspicions, but research evidence in practice , and at the end a true judgment .

Of course, these days you can simply email your denunciations directly to the “Comune di Venezia”, though I have to wonder if anyone still checks the bocche for random grievances left by a less techno-literate veneziano in the dead of night.

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Venice The story of the collapse of the bell tower of San Marco

The story of the collapse of the bell tower of San Marco

The bell tower collapsed in July 14th, 1902 . The inevitable collapse of the tower ,because of his old age was the main news at those days ,but the careful analysis revealed other causes. The reason for the collapse was not the foundation , a palisade in the form of a star that held large weight but the men’s intervention .

The old walls of the tower were weakened ,even if it seems strange,by lightning and earthquakes , over the humidity .

The base of the bell tower was surrounded by 17 shops that were demolished (1873),to build the “loggia of the academics “( Sansovino ) meeting place of the scholars of the Republic.
In 1745 the engineer Zendrini built a wall of support around the bell tower , an exoskeleton that promised to support the bell tower for a long time.
After the collapse the regional office for the conservation of monuments in the Venice area comes to a frightening conclusion :
The company contracted with maintenance of the ” loggia” built near the bell tower wall with the roof glued to the wall with a sloping frame ; for change the lead roof , has removd this frame . They did so a horizontal cut in the wall that penetrated deep by two-thirds thickness , weakening the wall built by Zendrini . Then another bad luck adds ; during the work a large amount of debris falls towards the base of the tower , leaving a big empty space between the two walls . Shortly after, the outer wall will move out of vertical axis
. On the interior of the tower were observed strange cracks too.The collapse begins with the total failure of the outer wall ,then the intern one. That is no doubt due to the cut made in the wall.

The political regime of the time tried to hide the real reasons of the collapse blaming the oldness of the wall , and looking to blame the maintainers and the administrators of the bell tower ( Vendrasco , Saccardo ) , for negligence .
It was rebuilt and inaugurated ten years later ” how it was and where it was”.

inspired by ” Venice doc history of Venice .”

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Venezia La storia del crollo del campanile di San Marco

La storia del crollo del campanile di San Marco

Il campanile crollo nel 14 luglio 1902 e si veicolo l’idea di inevitabile crollo del campanile,per la sua vecchiaia ,ma le attente analisi rivelarono altre cause. Il motivo del crollo non fu la fondamenta ,una palizzata in forma di stella e che reggevano un grosso pezzo ma l’intervento dell uomo.Le vecchie mura del campanile erano indebolite anche se sembra strano dai fulmini ed i terremoti ,oltre l’umidità .

Alla base il campanile era circondato da 17 botteghe che furono demolite (1873),per costruire poi la loggia dei accademici (Sansovino),luogo di incontro dei sapienti della Repubblica.
Nell’anno 1745 l’ingegnere Zendrini costruii un muro di sostengo intorno al campanile,un esoscheletro che prometteva di sostenere il campanile per tanto tempo.
Dopo il crollo l’ufficio regionale per la conservazione dei monumenti in territorio veneziano arriva ad una conclusione agghiacciate. La ditta incaricata con la manutenzione della loggetta costruita vicino al muro del campanile,con il tetto incollato al muro tramite una cornice spiovente;per cambiare il tetto di piombo, rimuove questa cornice. Fecero cosi un taglio orizzontale nel muro che penetrava in profondità per due terzi dello spessore ,indebolendo il muro di Zendrini. Poi si aggiunge un altra sfortuna ;durante il lavoro una grande quantità di detriti cade verso la base del campanile lasciando un grande spazio vuoto tra le due mura .Poco dopo si po notare che il muro esterno si sposto fuori
asse verso esterno.Anche al interno del campanile si osservavano strani movimenti.

Il crollo inizio con il cedimento totale del muro esterno,poi quello interno.Questo fatto e dovuto senza dubbio al taglio fatto nel muro.

Il regime politico di allora cerco di nascondere i motivi reali del crollo incolpando l’anzianità delle mura ,e cercando colpe ai amministratori manutentori del campanile (Vendrasco,Saccardo), per incurie.
Viene ricostruito ed inaugurato dieci anni dopo com’era e dov’era.

inspirato da “Venezia doc storia di venezia” .

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Knowing Venice

We can learn, explore, discover the secrets of Venice, through a different perspective from that of a normal traveler.
There are some curiosity that makes Venice a city even more mysterious and fascinating

The winged lion above the gateway of Arsenale holds a book without the traditional worlds PAX TIBI MARCE (pace to you Mark) unsuitable in this military context.Outside the gate, four lions keep guard. The larger one bear runic inscriptions on its side,hacked there in the 11 century by Norse mercenaries.The lion came from the greek island of Delos.The others were looted from Athens in 1687.

Tintoreto’s masterpiece “Paradise” in the doge’s palace is the largest oilpainting in the world.

The most common surname in Venice and Pellestrina is Vianello (which derives from the Latin Vivianus “alive”). Follows the surname Scarpa (shoe).The surname characteristic of Burano is Dei Rossi (the red), of the Murano is Toso (shear) while the most common ones in Chioggia and Sottomarina are Boscolo (allusion to the forest) and Tiozzo. The most common diminutives in Venice are Bepi (Joseph), Tony (Anthony) and Nane (John). The names typical of Venice are Marco (Mark),Alvise, Nicholas and James.

The first description of the glasses was in Venice, in 1284, and it was in the “Chaptolare”, the status of art of” Cristalleri”, in which is textually write that “oglarios” were to be made of good crystal and not of glass.

The narrowest street in Venice is called “Calletta Varisco” which is located on a side near Campo San Canciano:is only 53 cm wide!

An regulament of the health approved in 1897 , sets the rules for buildings and their maintenance,and includes an obligation to build canals to channel the waste water.
Money in Venice are called “Schei”, this term comes from from the inscription “Scheidenmunze” the coin used at the time of the Habsburg rule in Venice .The Venetians shortened the name for convenience. Another synonym for money in Venice before
the euro was “Franks”, thie legacy of the Napoleonic era.

The circulation waterway in Venice is regulated as in the mainland by appropriate signs (one-way, prohibition of access, etc..).

In 1300, the laws of Venice predicted :the tutella of the child worker; the separation between the interest of the doctors and pharmacists and even a public health service, and a set of rules in the justice regolations and the public stability.

In Venice, the woman cold and stiff called mercilessly with the term “Maria de tola” (wooden plank women). Seems that the term “Marionette” (puppets) is derived from small puppets for children called “Marie Wood” (or “Marion” when were larger), inspired by venezian nickname “Marie de tola”.

The squares in Venice are called “Campi”, in fact, were originally used as allotments. The fields in front of churches were often used as cemeteries.

The characters of Lancelot Gobbo and his father, old Gobbo, in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice could have been inspired by the traditional symbol of the Rialto or the Gobbo di Rialto.

Most of the “lions” (the winged symbol of Venice) was destroyed by Napoleon’s troops in 1797, the ones we see now are almost all ,copies similar to the originals.

The word “ciao”(hello) has Venetian origins. In ancient times people used to greet in this way: “suo sciavo”which means “your servant,at your orders, your slave.” So, from time to time the greeting became first “s-ciao” and then “ciao”.

The organization inside the Arsenale shipyard was at the forefront, with different specialist departments quality control of materials standardization of many stages of production and even the first line of assemblage of the history .That allowed to build up three ships per day, which guaranteed to Venice a true record.

The name Ghetto had Venetian origins and derives from the foundries in that area who throwing or blended metals (from the Venezian verb “getare = sharpen the metal with the gaiter”, or with the lead dioxide), for manufacturing and supplying the Arsenal cannons.
For getto to Ghetto , the world change because of,the first Jews who lived there had come from Germany and pronounced it with the “g” as guttural “ghermania.”

The “Campanile of San Marco ” 98.6 meters is the highest tower of the city. On its summit stands a golden angel whose swivel wings point of the direction of the wind at that altitude. On the August 21, 1609 Galileo Galilei showed the telescope ,from bell tower to the Lordship of Venice .

The phrase “Beviamo un ombra = Let’s drink a shadow” ( a glass of wine), comes from the fact that the wine was kept in the shaddow places to be cool (the basements were few) and then consumed in Piazza S. Marco, in the shade of the umbrella and at the great bell tower shadow. From the belfry,starts, at noon on the first Sunday of the carnival, the flight of the angel, giving the official start to the biggest event in the city.

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Venice -The Festival of Health

In 1630 , after more than half a century after the terrible plague of 1575-77 ( bubonic plague ), the disease strikes again on Venice threatening to destroy the lagoon city. The contagion spread to Venice following the arrival of ambassadors of Mantua,city already affected by the epidemiy ( which hit the whole of northern Italy between 1630 and 1631 ) .

In a short span of time, despite the intervents of the “Elders of Health” (doctors), the population was decimated .( 80,000 deaths per 150,000 residents).The disease does not spare the aristocracy or the clergy : even the Doge and most of his family.
Famous is that the notice ordering , anyone would feel the symptoms of the disease to drink at least half a liter of liquid even then someone had guessed the dynamics of the anticorps.

Once again the government and people of Venice are turning to religion.It organizes a procession involving the 10,000 survivors ,They walked incessantly around St. Mark’s Square for three days and three nights with torches and statues .The Doge ( Nicolò Contarini ) and the Patriarch of Venice ( Giovanni Tiepolo ) , make a solemn vow to erect a church called “the Salute”church, asking the interpose of the Virgin Mary to end the plague and i if the city escaped from the total ruin ,a temple will be built “in proportion and beauty never seen in all the city”, thanksgiving to Our Lady .Few weeks after the procession ,
the epidemic suffered a sharp slowdown and then slowly regress until finally extinguished in November 1631.

The most appropriate place for the building ,is the “Punta della Dogana da Mar”, who was the subject of recent demolitions.The design was entrusted to the young architect Longhena and to his new Baroque style. Its octagonal design ” a Crown shape” adapted to the expectation of the Serenissima : a masterpiece of art and a very popular place of pilgrimage, a church that exalted the Virgin and at the same time the Republic .

The basilica was consecrated on the day of November 21, 1687 , which since become for the Venetians “the day of Our Lady of Health “.Each year, the ecclesial and civil community of Venice renews its “vote” of gratitude Is a pilgrimage of thanksgiving in the church in perpetual memory of the Virgin Mary and the innocent dead.Throughout the day , in the church , kept open without interruption, are celebrated continuously masses and rosaries,with a continuous influx of the faithful.Particularly venerated in the” Basilica della Salute”, is the Byzantine icon of the Madonna said Mesopanditissa ( Mediatrix of peace ) .The votive bridge connecting the two banks of the Grand Canal and approaching the shrine to the center of the city to facilitate the pilgrimage.On that day the traffic of pilgrims is so intense ,that from the early hours of the morning, is required the use of one-way pedestrian from Accademia bridge.

The castradina, very tasty plate of food made from mutton, that is typical food for Venice’s people on the day of the health (Salute).

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Venice- Campo dei mori (the champ of the Moors)

Campo dei Mori

Located in Cannaregio the more extended district from the city Campo dei Mori “is well known by the statues leaning on the walls. The Tradition says that the three brothers Rioba , Sandi and Afani , misers and dishonest merchants who had obviously many ” mastelli ” ( bowls ) full of money adopted the surname Mastelli .

They were coming from the Morea ( the Venetian name to indicate the Peloponnese ), and therefore commonly appealed ” Mori “, the statues are their images (late thirteenth century sculptures). According to a tradition, among business, there was also practiced the management of a bank, through which a lady was conned.Very religious she prayed to St. Mary Magdalene to hurl his curse on the three merchants. So when the woman loose the money the three brothers Mastelli trough the miraculous prodigy became three stone statues , which were placed in a niche on Campo dei Mori as a warning to those who saw them .

As for statues , visible from the field are actually three, representing the many famous
brothers , although , in the “foundations of the Moors” it is placed the fourth , immediately after the splendid ” sotoportego of the Moors ” and just before the house where lived the famous Tintoretto. ( In the adjacent riverbank of the Moors is the house of the painter Tintoretto . )

In the night between April 30 and May 1, 2010 the statue of “Sior Rioba” was decapitated by a vandal ;the head was found in “Calle Racquet”on May 3 and the statue was restored.

The house of the Moors (called the house of the cammel) , in the last great war , hit by a bomb from an Austrian airplane .Collapsing ,buried under its ruins some people. It was poorly rebuilt , but the three statues were put back in their place ”

On these statues jokers used to hang notes and satirical pages .One of them is:

The chronicle of mrs Andrea Rioba

… i worked with the two brothers ;first escaped from the Morea and then arrived in Venice to find a bit of peace and deal with wholesale in peace. Here around everything was in their possession, including the Ca ‘ Masteli , which always has its own entrance from the mainland. There is just a little problem , the three brothers are in the field and you can see all of them , but no one has ever figured out who is fourth that from the riverbank: is a cousin ? Or is someone that is in debt of money.

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venice -The wells

The problem of water in the early settlements

During the barbarian invasions , the few inhabitants of the islands and coasts, were facing their needs of water with the ” rainwater collection .” With the arrival of entire populations fleeing from the mainland running from the continuous invasions ,the water supply becomes a major problem – was not enough rain water but they needed also water deposits . First of all was necessary to have a collection surface sufficiently wide around the well itself, towards which converge the rainwater : for this reason the Venetian fountains are located almost exclusively in the wide fields or courts .
The first natural wells were created by digging a pit in the sand, where the water came from groundwater through a hard layer of clay , which was located in the basement.In that way” the Venetian wells” borned .
The excavation was generally below the average of the sea level (5-6 meters), the walls were covered with a layer of clay of 50-60 cm. In the bottom, at the center of the excavation was placed a slab of stone on which is built the barrel .A series of open channels , were placed along the perimeter of the tank ( i cassoni ) .At the top of the box- there was a vertical element the connector ( la Piela ) , covered by a stone slab ( the seal ) with small holes ( i gattoli .) The floor was tilted towards the “gattoli” , and the end was (la vera da pozzo) the fountain head used both as a parapet and support to the pulley with which the Venetian women drew water with buckets .
Some of these were obtained from large “capitelli” from old Roman constructions .

Many Venetian wells have inscriptions or bas-reliefs relating to the family who had taken charge of their construction .

At the beginning of the fifteenth century Venice reached 1000 000 inhabitants, ( the first places among the most populated cities in Europe). Plague of 1348 reduced the population to one third. The fear of water pollution,inhibited the use of the fountains ,and searching other sources of water :the fluvial source( the Brenta river ) .
A series of laws of 1425 diverts the rivers flowing into the lagoon away from Venice,
and for reasons of pollution proibited to the boats to climb in places closer to Venice.
The boats( burchi ) equipped to bring drinking water ,were filled from the river with a kind of slide and they can approach under the barrier between the lagoon and the river.The watherman ( Acquaroli )- carrying water from Brenta river to Venice with barges , have had the task of filling the public wells and prevent the theft of the water from them.

In June 23, 1884 begins the supply of water through aqueduts from the river Brenta , and in July : is signed by the Municipality the renew of the contract for the supply of water through pipes, (the citizen aqueduct )
In 1900 the aqueduct of Venice is extended to the Lido.

The water problem in Venice today,

There are dozens of springs scattered in the fields and squares of Venice . But one of the most frequently asked questions is as follows: ” You can drink the water of the fountains in the city? ” . The answer is definitely “Yes .”
The water that falls from the fountains is potable and tastes better than tap water . Fountains of Venice receive water from groundwater coming from the high Val Padana .

The fountains in Venice are distributed throughout the island city . Almost every field has ,or had , a fountain, often accompanied by a well or even popping out from the well.The number of the old wells is estimated to be much higher (157) according to the historical memory of the people, but not all working .

One of the reasons is the consumption estimated for the fountain which is about 2,000 euro / year each, and because of rising costs the Municipality has reduced the output pressure from the fountains through a reducer but due to the unfortunate phenomenon of a whitish spot on the cast-iron column and a certain difficulty in drinking , that leads anyway to an expense cost for only the historical center of 74 000 € / year (only wather usage)

But don’t worry the Wine Fountain will save us..At the opening of the carnival of Venice, we toast with an abundant red wine that flows from Wine Fountain ,set up in Piazza San Marco .

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Venice-The highest tide

The highest tide .
04 November 1966 is a fateful day of the recent Venetian history that marked
a turning point in the secular defense of Venice from the aggressions of the natural elements .The tide begins to rise in the late evening of November 3 , when it reaches one meter and 27 centimeters. At dawn on November 4, when he had to start to flow , due to the combination of meteorological values and negative astrological, a strong sirocco wind
beginning of a new storm and at the first half of the day the water level had touched the highest level ever achieved in human memory of 1.94 cm.

“On the coasts the storm caused flooding and serious dammage.On the Murano island the waves are higher than 4 meters ,Malamocco is all submerged under the water, for the second time in its history,in Pelestrina island, 3000 people have been evacuated ,in the entrance of the Venice’s harbor a ship sank after being rammed by a Yugoslavian ship .The crew members were rescued . ”

The wind continued to swell the sea pushing it into the lagoon , breaking the historical eighteenth century ” embankments “(the wall of defense that borders the lagoon from the sea ), ten-point opening holes that put at risk the inhabitants of the Veneto coast ,blowing with the settler violence to the porches of St. Mark’s Square flooded by four feets above
the pavement, while the basilica, for the first time in history was completely flooded as the rest of the entire city.
The perturbation across the nord of the Italy and the event provoked in the following days the flooding of many rivers provoking the dead of a hundred people .The Arno invades the center of Florence with the most severe damage to cultural heritage than Venice.
The city of Venice ,without electricity and telephone signal in the cold, with residual fuel oil
dispersed from the boilers flooded (that marked the walls of houses and buildings) , with a quantity of debris and garbage that it will take several days to clean.Thousand of the ground floors of shops was devastated by the tidal.
Thousands of documents of great historical and artistic value of the: Marciana Library , State Archives , the Querrini Stampalia the Cini Foundation ,was ruined.
The only damage to the city center will be rounded to 35 billion lire at the time .(1 euro = 1936,27 lire)
But the more serious will be the psychological trauma , and not just for the Venetians ,
realizing the risk that the city , a symbol of the beauty of creative and artistic intelligence , crossed.after the dramatic event of November 4, the problem of the survival of Venice , becoming international , even for the strong mobilization of UNESCO.

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VENICE- the ghetto and the jewish

GHETTO OF VENICE

The Venetian Ghetto is located in the Cannaregio district , just five minutes walk from the train station and ten from Piazzale Roma. A Jewish community was present in Venice since the twelfth century (documented in 1152 ) and
consisted of about 1300 people.

Traditionally Venetian Jews practiced usury,or what was known as such, that is a fact, that lending was prevented to Christians by religious reasons, because they thought contrary to the moral profit from interest on money lent to pledge .
Gradually, the community was consolidated economically and rich of culture .

From the thirteenth century had permanent residence at the island of Spinalonga, since then , having many Jews inhabitants , changed the name in Giudecca .The relations of the community with the Republic were unstable and periodically took place campaigns of conversion . These who adhered changed also the name assuming the name of one who had caused him to recant ,often a member of the aristocracy . The best known example is that of Lorenzo da Ponte (originally Conegliano surname ) who converted and took the name of the nobleman who had converted along with the whole family.

In 1298 was deprived the Jews permission to have a fixed abode in Venice , and they moved into adjacent areas ,but they could still go to the city for their activities .
The permanence in the places occupied in the diaspora is revealed ; while the Christianity was consolidated and acquired more power, more and more difficult , because of the discrimination prohibitions to wich the Jews were subjected .
A series of pronouncements of the Catholic synods 300-1300 banned to the Jews : mixed intermarry , have lunch with non-Jews, hold public office ,keep Christian servants , round in the streets after a certain hour or certain times of the year.keep books and Jewish religious texts, , living with Christians , practice the art of medicine in favor of the Christians , accused or witnesses against Christians , build synagogues , etc. .

ghetto

All this culminated with a series of expulsions of Jews in successive waves from Germany to: Italy , Poland and Russia taking the name of ” akenaziti ,” from the Hebrew name of Germany ” akenaz ” In Venice, the community grew and organized , enjoying a climate of relative tolerance , until the “Council of Pregadi” ( Senate) decide on 29 March 1516 that all Jews were required to reside in the Ghetto (later known as the Ghetto Vecchio) .
The name Ghetto derives from the foundries in that locality .(from the verb “gettare=sharpen the metal with the gaiter”,or with the lead dioxide) )or ” blended ” metals , manufacturing and supplying the Arsenal cannons . Getto became Ghetto, because the first Jews who lived here had come from Germany and pronounced it with the ” g” as guttural ” ghermania ” .
The result is an institution which will then be applied also in the rest of Europe . With the word ” Ghetto ” were identified urban areas of European cities in which the Jewish communities were forced to live .
The word ghetto has come to mean a place of segregation.The Jewish community of Venice was then transferred to the area of the Old Ghetto , where
had the obligation to return in the evening . The whole area was controlled by guards at night and access roads were barred. The population of the Ghetto of Venice continued to
increase up to 5000 people and this explains why there you could see houses with
8 floors, with the brick base and the top floors made of the wood .Each floor had the height
of 1.5 – 1.6 meters, to be lighter, and create more space for rent.Is also true that
the average height of the middle age population was approximately 1.5 to 1.6 meters.
When these small apartments offered to the Jews , they have had to pay the rent of light ( the sun ) to have their windows .

The Venetian Ghetto was still not enough to accommodate all
its inhabitants and it was decided to expand it in adjacent areas, the Ghetto Nuovo ( in 1541 )and the Ghetto Nuovissimo ( 1663 ) . In 1492 Ghetto of Venice received a consistent group of Marranos , who were the Jews expelled from Spain . With the end of the Republic of Venice (1797 ) the Jews were permitted to live in the other parts of the city.

During the Second World War the with the advancement of the Germanic troops the jewish were herded into ghettos , and then deported to concentration camps where they began the final solution -elimination of 6 million Jews who died on the end of the war .

ghetto vecchio

And ,painful to remember that during the Second World War were deported from the Venice ghetto over 200 people in the two tragic days of December 5, 1943 and 17 August 1944.
On “Campo del Ghetto Nuovo ” champ you can see the Holocaust Memorial (1980 ), which is the work of the Lithuanian sculptor Arbit Blatas dedicated to the Jewish community and his deportation ,projected by Franca Semi .
Nowdays , the Jewish community of the Venetian Ghetto is massively reduced (30 residents ),but are over 500 persons enrolled in it. While at one time in the Ghetto of Venice were flourishing activities banking and printing (especially in the sixteenth century ) , the bigger resource nowadays is the tourism.

In “Sottoportego of the Ghetto”, ,there is an Jewish Restaurant : Gam -Gam that complies with the requirements imposed in the culinary field to the Israelites in the Bible , so it is a restaurant Koshe . ( suitable or belonging at the categories that the Bible defines them as well : avoid meat of all non-ruminants,who do not have cloven hoof , while among those aquatic creatures are prohibited without fins and scales .In addition, the slaughter must be done in a particular way because the Bible states that animals have to suffer as little as possible and that all the blood must be eliminated ,because it is forbidden to feed on blood.)

The special culinary delights of the Jewish cuisine are “sardine in saor” mean sardines in sauce , a sweet and sour vinegar in which the sardines and the onion mixed with sultanas and pine nuts.But many more are the specialty of this particular ethnic trend .

In Campo del Ghetto Nuovo in Venice , Cannaregio 2873c , is the Kosher Club ” Le Balthazar ” which serves typical Jewish at the fixed price of 18,00 € or a refined menu ” à la carte”
Synagogues of the Venetian Ghetto
Inside the Ghetto of Venice were built in 1719 nine synagogues , which were also called Schuole (schools). Currently there are 5 left , one for each Jewish confession
This centuries ago in Venice. In Campo del Ghetto Nuovo is the Great German Schola ( 1528 ) ,( Which has a surprising particular , the altar has been extended beyond the walls to create more space ,creating the impression of a balcony.)
the Schola Canton (1532) and the Italian Synagogue or ” Italian school “is in Campo del Gheto Novo .Set in 1575 by the community of Italian origin ( the poorest in the ghetto ) is located in the Campo Ghetto Novo to the right of the Canton school .The Italian synagogue was very important because it housed the sermons of the famous Rabbi Leon da Modena .Nowdays the entrance to the synagogue is in common with that of some private houses placed under the school ..
In Campo del Ghetto Vecchio is the Levantine Schola ( 1538 ) from Central Europe, the majority came from Poland.The interior of the synagogue looks like a Catholic church of that era, but set up to keep their habits unchanged , and Schola Spanish or Ponentina ( 1555), which was rebuilt in 1654 by Baldassarre Longhena.

Outside the synagogues appear inconspicuous , some windows or written in Hebrew make you understand that it is a place of worship. This is because the law at that time did not allow sumptuous facades .The interiors however are often very rich and peculiar adorned.The Charatteristic of the Venetian synagogue is the rectangular shape , with holy ark and the podium orientated on the the shorter sides facing each other while the benches are lined up on the majors. On the walls , biblical quotations in Hebrew ;characteristic furnishings , candle holders from brass and silver , and a great abundance of precious fabrics and red curtains .That’s why the synagogues of Venice are considered among the most beautiful in Europe.

Republic of Venice in 1389 authorized the building of a Jewish cemetery outside the
city , on the island of Lido near S. Nicholas, (or S. Nicoletto ) .

The reference point for the guided tour of the monuments of the Ghetto is the Jewish Museum, has a website rich in historical and practical information , and a map of the ghetto

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