Venice: The Meeting of East and West - The Wise World Traveler: Becoming a Part of All that You Meet - page 79

VENICE'S GHETTO
Throughout a significant part of history, Venice stood at the crossroads of the global export
trade of the Middle Ages, with goods passing through between east and west. But the
city has also exported something that has endured time: words and phrases that have be-
come part of our standard vocabulary. Many Venetian terms have traveled the world, taking
on new and sometimes surprising meanings: gondola , lido , sequin , and Rialto conjure up
thoughts of pleasure. The arsenale housed the shipyards on which Venice's maritime power
depended. Armed galleys were built in the arsenale , along with foundries to cast cannon
and whatever else was needed for men of war. Finally, ghetto , which originally marked off
a neighborhood of iron foundries, has become an international word that signifies isolation,
intolerance, and inhumanity.
Jews first came to Venice in 1373, seeking safety from religious persecution. They
were permitted to live in an area of foundries, but not without restrictions. At first, their
residence was only temporary. The contracts that authorized residence required frequent
renewal and frequent payment of fees. But over the centuries, the threat of expulsion was
asserted more than it was enacted. Jews were taxed frequently for the privilege of living
in the ghetto. Distinctive dress was required of all, and the gates of the two ghettos were
locked at night. And only certain occupations were open to Jews: banking, for example, but
not the textile trade.
Jews lived and often prospered in Venice. William Shakespeare's The Merchant of
Venice describes one such individual. The ghetto became synonymous with religious and
ethnic segregation as well as the culture within, symbolized, for example, by religious
schools and synagogues. When Napoleon's troops entered Venice in 1797, proclaiming the
equality of the French Revolution, the ghetto's gates were destroyed.
THE VENETIAN SPIRIT
Aside from a dedication to profitable trade, the Venetians were patrons of theater and mu-
sic. The San Moise Theater (opened in 1620) entertained a cross-section of Venetian so-
ciety with comedies and opera. Venetians took special delight in the music of their own
Vivaldi (1678-1741). His “Four Seasons” made Venetian music famous throughout Europe,
just as it continues to delight listeners today. La Fenice, which opened in 1792 and re-
opened in 2003, has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful theaters in the world.
Its classical facade is a brilliant white, while the centerpiece of its marble lobby is a beau-
tiful staircase. La Fenice burned down in 1996, accidentally at first report. But further in-
vestigation revealed that workmen had set the fire deliberately. Repairs had gone slowly,
and the contractor, seeking to excuse his delays, ordered electricians to start a small fire to
draw attention from the delays. The fire could not be contained, and to the anger and an-
guish of Venetians, the theater was closed for more than half a decade.