Jewish Rome District, Old Ghetto and Trastevere Private Tour

Highlights

• Learn about the oldest Jewish community in the Western world
• Explore the Jewish district, the old Ghetto and Trastevere
• View Piazza Mattei, Via della Reginella, Portico d'Ottavia, the Great Synagogue, Santa Maria in Trastevere and many more sights

Description

The Jewish community of Rome is the oldest in the Western world, dating back to the 2nd century B.C. At the foot of Capitoline Hill, the Ghetto was created between 1555 and 1870, where the Jewish people were forced to live. Shortly after Rome became the capital of Italy, the old Ghetto was dismantled and the Jewish people were granted citizenship.

Between 1901 and 1904 a monumental temple, the Great Synagogue, was built to celebrate the event, and it is still the main Jewish temple in Rome. The district is a landmark for the Jewish people with shops and kosher restaurants. You will cross the Fabricio Bridge (62 B.C.), the oldest bridge left in Rome, and reach Tiber Island and Trastevere.

The district developed on the right bank of the river as an area for merchants, sailors, fishermen and foreigners. Trastevere looks like a maze of narrow, winding streets and it maintains its old character with its cobblestone streets lined with ancient houses.