OUR TRIP TO ITALY WITH RICK STEVES
9
One of the much-appreciated facets of Rick Steves' tours is that travelers have time to themselves to explore on their own when there aren't planned activities.
My husband, Steve, and I went to the Gheto Vechio, the old Jewish quarter of Venice. The Gheto Vechio ("Old Ghetto") is an historic area in Venice's Cannaregio district, established in 1541 as an extension to the original 1516 Jewish Ghetto (Gheto Novo). It served as a residential area for Levantine and Spanish Jews, featuring the Scola Levantina and Scola Spagnola synagogues and the bustling Calle del Ghetto Vecchio.
The first use of the word “ghetto” originated in Venice dating from the Gheto Novo when the city's Jews were required by law to reside in just a few small blocks.