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Jewish Quarter

Stretching from Garibaldi Bridge to Via delle Botteghe Oscure, the Jewish Quarters represents one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe and, from an aesthetic standpoint, one of the most pleasant neighborhoods in Rome.

The neighborhood of Trastevere was where Jewish merchants from Israel first settled, but by the middle ages the Jewish community shifted to the eastern banks of the Tiber. At the height of papal rule in 1535, Pope Paul IV segregated the community to a walled-off area called the “ghetto”. Though the walls were torn down in the late 19th Century, the Ghetto today still remains a characteristic and historic neighborhood and the home to many people of Jewish descent.

At the end of Via del Portico d'Ottavia is the Portico d'Ottavia, constructed between 27-23 B.C. by Emperor Augustus in honor of his sister Octavia. It was damaged by fire in 80 and was then rebuilt by Settimus Severius in 203. The majority of the remains can still be seen today.

On the picturesque Piazza Mattei, you'll find the Fontana delle Tartarughe (Turtle Fountain), designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1585 and elaborated with the addition of turtles by Bernini in 1568. This fountain is considered one of the major Roman fountains and aqueducts that were constructed under the rule of Popes Gregory XIII and Sisto V for the purpose of improving the flow of water supply to Rome.

The Jewish quarter is also home to one of the oldest standing and best preserved theatres of Ancient Rome. Teatro Marcellus was originally constructed by Julius Caesar and completed after his death in 11 B.C. by the emperor Augustus.

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