Jewish Ghetto (Il Ghetto)

Rome's Jewish community is the oldest in Europe, dating back over 2,100 years — predating Christianity itself. The Ghetto area, between the Tiber and Largo di Torre Argentina, became the mandatory enclosure for Roman Jews after Pope Paul IV's 1555 bull confined the community within its walls. Today it's a living neighbourhood of narrow streets, kosher restaurants, the Great Synagogue (1904), and layered ancient-to-modern history. The area around Via del Portico d'Ottavia is one of the most evocative in Rome: ancient Roman ruins, medieval churches, Renaissance palazzi, and the haunting October 1943 plaques marking the deportation of over 1,000 Roman Jews by the Nazis. The culinary tradition — Roman-Jewish cooking — is exceptional: carciofi alla giudia (crispy fried artichokes), ricotta and sour cherry cake, and baccalà fritto are the classics.