GHETTO OF VENICE: THE ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURE OF THE WORLD'S FIRST GHETTO SETTLEMENT

Abstract

The ghetto type settlements, which appear in the European city structure, define those quarters where the Jews have been forced to live isolated from the city. Yet, the place where the term was used for the first time is Venice which is also the place where the first ghetto had been formed. Jewish communities have come to also Venice for purpose of trade such as other Italian cities since ancient periods. However, they had been composed the settlement which has been had gone on until now in sixteenth century. The phenomenon of decomposed quarter had been created ‘ghetto' type settlement. Nowadays, even if Jewish population is in a small number, they remain their existence in ghetto with religious and social buildings. Thence, it has been taken place in important cultural heritages which have been preserved with population since established. This study is a research on the architectural character of the Venetian Ghetto, within its historical context and socio-political conditions. The settlement is considered as a whole in the context of its position in the city, with its civic buildings and synagogue architecture. Another objective of the study is to set a model for sustainable urban preservation today where the community is still part of the historical settlement.