Portico of Octavia

The historic district of Rione Sant’Angelo stretches between the Largo Argentina square with its very ancient sanctuary, the Tiber Island, and the Theatre of Marcellus.
It also included the ancient Theatre of Balbus and the Circus Flaminius.
However, these areas of Rome are especially known for the city’s historic ghetto, of which little remains of its former urban structure, when it was unhealthy, with elevated houses often flooded and separated by narrow alleys. Most were demolished during the redevelopment of the late 19th century, creating a pleasant neighborhood with good shade in summer, where today a village-like atmosphere prevails, despite being in the heart of Rome.
Nevertheless, it retains much from the centuries when Jews were confined here, such as certain alleys, its own Roman dialect, a cuisine, as well as the Great Synagogue and a still-vibrant Jewish presence. Culinary specialties include the fish soup linked to the proximity of the former fish market, fried artichokes, and delicious pastries like Pizza Ebraica.

Turtle Fountain

Today, the term ghetto refers to an area broader than its historical extent once defined by walls, which were demolished in the 19th century. It corresponds to the space between via Arenula to the west, running eastward along via dei Falegnami then via dei Funari, turning south with via della Tribuna di Campitelli and via del Portico d’Ottavia, and closing the trapezoid along the Tiber with the Lungotevere de’ Cenci.
In this neighborhood and more broadly in the Rione Sant’Angelo, one can discover charming palaces and squares, where the medieval character is more pronounced than in other areas of Rome, such as Piazza Mattei with the beautiful Turtle Fountain, or the Mattei di Giove Palace.
There are no grand buildings apart from the ancient Portico of Octavia and the Theatre of Marcellus, but many curiosities can be discovered by walking its alleys, along with some churches and the remains of the Temple of Apollo Sosianus (→ See also the tours of the Roman ghetto).

The Historic Ghetto

Jews were settled in ancient Rome since the Roman Republic, initially on the Aventine, then in Trastevere where they made up the majority of the population, and in the Middle Ages in the Rione Sant’Angelo. It was in this last district that the ghetto was enclosed by the popes for over 300 years, from 1555 to 1870, except during the short-lived Roman republics.
This historic ghetto area was surrounded by walls with gates. In the 18th century, it stretched between via del Portico d’Ottavia and the Tiber, and between the Theatre of Marcellus and Piazza delle Cinque Scole. A section of the wall still remains in one of the courtyards on this square.
Few remarkable buildings have survived from the old ghetto, with the churches once there having been demolished. The houses were very tall and connected by hanging bridges, often flooded for those near the Tiber, poorly maintained, and separated by narrow and unhealthy streets. This was due to the need to accommodate a high population density forced to live there. Most of these buildings were demolished at the end of the 19th century during redevelopment.

→ Read the page on the history of the Roman ghetto

Main Monuments and Sites

Museums

More Sites in the District

Map of Ghetto Sites