Jewish Ghetto, Rome

The Jewish Ghetto is a small quarter between the Tiber, the Portico d’Ottavia and Piazza Mattei, where Rome’s Jewish community was confined from 1555 until 1870. Jews have lived in Rome since the second century BC, which makes it one of the oldest continuous Jewish communities in Europe. Today the quarter combines Roman ruins, a synagogue and museum, quiet Renaissance squares and some of the city’s most distinctive food. Yes, it is worth visiting, especially if you like history and cooking.

A walk with a guide adds the stories behind the streets; see the Jewish Ghetto history and food walk or our best food tours in Rome.

What is the Jewish Ghetto in Rome known for?

It is known for its history, for the synagogue, and for Roman-Jewish cooking. In 1555 Pope Paul IV issued the bull Cum nimis absurdum, which ordered Rome’s Jews to live in a walled area, with gates locked at night. Residents faced restrictions on trades and property, and for a period were required to attend conversion sermons. The walls were removed after Rome joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1870, and the old district was largely demolished and rebuilt in the following decades, which is why its look today is partly late-nineteenth century.

The community’s darkest chapter came on 16 October 1943, when German forces rounded up over a thousand Roman Jews, most of whom were deported to Auschwitz. Memorials in the quarter, including brass “stumbling stones” (pietre d’inciampo) set into pavements, record this history.

What can you see in the Jewish Quarter?

• Portico d’Ottavia: the ruins of an ancient colonnade built under Augustus. In the Middle Ages it housed a fish market and the church of Sant’Angelo in Pescheria was built into it.
• Teatro di Marcello: an ancient theatre begun under Julius Caesar and completed by Augustus, which looks like a smaller Colosseum; later buildings rose on top of it.
• Great Synagogue (Tempio Maggiore): a large synagogue of the early 1900s with a distinctive square aluminium dome, on the riverbank.
• Jewish Museum of Rome: beside the synagogue, telling the community’s story through objects and documents. Entry is by ticket with security checks, and synagogue visits are usually guided.
• Fontana delle Tartarughe: the Turtle Fountain in Piazza Mattei, a graceful sixteenth-century fountain with bronze turtles added later.
• Via del Portico d’Ottavia: the main street, lined with restaurants and bakeries.

What food is Roman-Jewish?

Roman-Jewish cuisine grew from kosher rules, local ingredients and the limits of ghetto life. Classic dishes include:

• Carciofi alla giudia: artichokes flattened and deep-fried until crisp, best in spring.
• Filetti di baccalà: battered fried salt cod.
• Fiori di zucca: fried courgette flowers.
• Concia di zucchine: marinated fried courgettes.
• Pizza ebraica: a dense, dried-fruit and nut cake from local bakeries.

For other Roman classics see a beginner’s guide to eating like a Roman.

Is the Jewish Ghetto worth visiting?

Yes, because it concentrates a lot into a few streets: a first-century BC portico, a theatre that predates the Colosseum, a nineteenth-century synagogue and a living food tradition. It is quieter than the nearby Pantheon area, and it rewards slow walking. If you only have an hour, walk the Portico d’Ottavia and Via del Portico d’Ottavia, look at the Turtle Fountain and stop for something fried. With a guide, you also hear how the ghetto’s rules shaped everyday life, which is hard to infer from the buildings alone.

How to get to the Jewish Ghetto

Tram 8 to Arenula is close by, and it is a ten-minute walk from Campo de’ Fiori and Largo di Torre Argentina. From the Pantheon it is also a short walk, and Tiber Island and Trastevere lie just across the river.

Visiting tips and timing

• Allow about two hours for the district, longer if you eat a full meal.
• Many Jewish restaurants and the museum close on Friday evenings and Saturdays for Shabbat. Check before you go.
• Dress modestly for the synagogue and expect security checks.
• Spring is ideal for artichokes, and a quiet weekday morning is the calmest time.

Nearby

Trastevere is across the river; see the Trastevere guide. The Capitoline Hill and Campo de’ Fiori are also nearby. See food lover’s Rome for more.