A historical tour that will wind through the places that witnessed an uninterrupted alternation of dramatic events and moments of rebirth of the Jewish community of Rome, which has been present for over two thousand years and whose troubled history has been identified with a well-defined area, in the heart of the city, the Jewish Quarter, which everyone still calls the Ghetto today. We will ideally follow the chronology of these events, moving from the Portico d'Ottavia through picturesque alleys, the last testimony of the narrow medieval layout of the Ghetto. Following the traces of a rich cultural heritage and traditions in the old Piazza Giudea and Piazza delle Cinque Scole, we will arrive at the urban changes of emancipation, embodied by the new Synagogue, to conclude in the places that were the scene of the Nazi round-up and even more recent deaths. Along our narrative we will also encounter many film locations: the Jewish Quarter, in fact, has always had a strong cinematic vocation.
The starting point is on the Tiber Island which is located between the two places in Rome linked to the presence of Jews in the city: Trastevere and the area of the Jewish Ghetto
We will tell the story of the construction and function of the Portico d'Ottavia and its use since the Middle Ages as a Fish Market.
We will tell the story of the square, of the beautiful fountain that embellishes it and of the family that gives its name to the block, the Matteis.
You will make your own way to the meeting points