The tour starts in Trastevere,meaning across the Tiber and it is in this district that waves of Jewish andoriental immigrants chose to settle. Between the 1st and 4thcenturies, about 15,000 of Rome’s 1 million inhabitants were Jewish and livedin this area. There is still a synagogue dating from the middle ages and it ishere that Rabbi ben Jechiel wrote the dictionary of the Talmud, known as theSefer Aruch. Crossing the Tiber, you will arrive in the Jewish Ghetto,dominated by a massive synagogue. The word ‘ghetto’ derives from a Venetianword, ‘getto’ meaning to pour and was first applied to a walled off area forJews, established in Venice, which happened to be near a foundry, where moltenmetal was poured. A visit to the excellent Jewish Museum also includes a visitto two synagogues, one Italian and the other Sephardic. Close by is the Porticod’Ottavia Roman gate and the Teatro di Marcello, remains of a Roman theatre.The area also has some excellent restaurants serving Roman-Jewish specialities,such as delicious fried artichoke hearts.
