The Jewish community of Rome is the oldest in the world
The Jewish community of Rome is considered the oldest in the world: it is known to exist since the 2nd century BC. At that time many of the Jews arrived in Rome as slaves, coming from Palestine which was already under Roman rule. At that time, the presence of Jews in Rome was gladly accepted and coexistence with the Romans was very peaceful. For several centuries the Jews inhabited the areas of Trastevere, and only after the year 1000, for practical reasons, did they begin to migrate towards the Tiber Island and the left bank of the Tiber river, in an area between the river, Sant’Angelo in Peschiera, San Tommaso in Monte Cenci and San Gregorio at Ponte Quattro Capi, which began to be called “Pons Judaeorum”. The area, which was soon surrounded by walls, extended over just over one hectare of land. The ghetto of Rome, also known as the Jewish quarter, is one of the oldest in the world and was born about 40 years after that of Venice, which historically was the first. It is located in the picturesque Sant’Angelo district, where the Tiber island also stands. Let’s go to the discovery of the history of the Roman Jewish community.
The term derives from the name of the Venetian district, gheto, where there was a foundry (precisely gheto in Venetian), where the Jews of that city were forced to reside. Another possible etymology traces the origin of this word to the Hebrew ghet, which means separation.
The area that the Romans today indicate as the “ghetto” is bordered by Via Arenula, Via dei Falegnami, Via de ‘Funari, Via della Tribuna di Campitelli, Via del Portico d’Ottavia and Lungotevere de’ Cenci. The historic ghetto, on the other hand, was much more restricted and located, roughly, between the current via del Portico d’Ottavia, piazza delle Cinque Scole and the Tiber.
On July 12, 1555, Pope Paul IV revoked all the rights granted to Roman Jews and ordered the establishment of the ghetto, called the “menagerie of the Jews”, making it rise in the Sant’Angelo district. The Jewish community in classical antiquity lived in the Aventine area and in Trastevere.
In addition to the obligation to reside within the ghetto, Jews had to wear a badge that would always make them recognizable: a hat for the men, another sign of recognition for the women, both of a light blue color. In addition, they were prohibited from engaging in any trade with the exception of rags and used clothing.
The vicissitudes of the Jews in Rome went on, with ups and downs, and in 1870 the ghetto was abolished.
After September 20, 1870, Roman Jews also established their residence in other areas of the city, while maintaining a particular attachment to the old ghetto area.
In 1888, with the implementation of the new master plan of the capital, most of the ancient streets and old buildings of the former ghetto, unhealthy and without toilets, were demolished. In 1889 a competition was launched for the construction of the new synagogue. The works, which began in 1901, ended in 1904 and on 29 July the Tempio Maggiore in Rome was inaugurated.
On October 16, 1943, the Nazis carried out a raid in the former ghetto. Over a thousand Jews were captured (a census was made years earlier by the Mussolini government). Departments of the SS kidnapped numerous people, especially in via del Portico d’Ottavia. Many people were forcibly taken from one of the two Renaissance buildings on the street, at number 13, called “il portonaccio”.
The prisoners were locked up in the Military College of Palazzo Salviati in via della Lungara. Transferred to the Tiburtina railway station, they were loaded onto a convoy consisting of 18 cattle wagons. The convoy, which left on October 18, arrived at the Auschwitz concentration camp on the 22. Of the 1023 deportees, only 16 managed to survive.
