Ghetto

This is the small area that stretches from Largo Argentina to the river. Not much of the original ghetto remains as it was razed to the ground after the unification of Italy when the Jewish inhabitants, once restricted to its confines by the papacy, were allowed to live in other parts of the city. The imposing synagogue, which was built at the end of the 19th century, is still the centre of the area and large apartment blocks of the same era were built around it. The only remaining parts of the old ghetto are around Portico d’Ottavia and the narrow lanes that lead to Largo Argentina. Considerable restoration has been done in the area over the last decade and most of it is now a quiet pedestrian precinct. There is a good choice of restaurants, good kosher food shops, two excellent bakeries, a hardware supermarket and an unpretentious confectionary shop which is one of the best in town. This has recently become a pedestrian precinct but there is some street parking along the river.