The City and the Ghetto

Urban scholars have pointed out that Venice had developed features which at a very early stage would become a trademark for ideal city planning. The port city which arose around the Doge’s Palazzo was composed of settlements originating on the islands. These separate units were organized around the parish, and soon evolved into autonomous polities which were provided with all the main social and political organs – church, market, charity venues, representative political bodies and government members – resembling the structure of the city’s government. But Venice was also the city which gave birth to the ghetto. This article explores the relationship between some prominent Jewish scholars, Christian presence, and the city in fueling cultural and religious debates.