PRIVATE

Private Tour of Jewish Rome

Tour Code TUR-01599

Duration 3 hours

Group Type Private

Departs From —

Customize This Journey View Full Itinerary

Overview

Highlights include:

Portico of Ottavia
Theater of Marcellus
The Great Synagogue
The Tiber Island

This tour takes you through the streets of what used to be the gated Jewish Ghetto, to delve into one of the hidden chapters in Rome's history.

The Jewish community of Rome is the oldest in the world. There have been Jews in Rome since ancient times, and until 1555, they lived here peacefully. Then, the Pope decided to confine them to a small area of the city, which was frequently flooded.

During your tour through these few streets and many Roman ruins, you will see where the gates were and learn about what life was like there. Your guide will take you to a church where Jews were once forced to listen to weekly sermons designed to convert them to Christianity, and will tell you about the Cinque Scole, the synagogues built by Jews from different parts of the world.

There was a period of peace from Italian Unification in 1870 when Jews were granted citizenship until WWII. During this time, Rome's Great Synagogue, with its easily recognizable 'square' dome, was built next to the river.

Your tour will include the more modern history of Rome's Jewish population. Many people who live in the former Ghetto are the descendants of families who were deported to Auschwitz in 1943. You'll see where many of them lived, learn how they lost their rights under Fascism, and of how the Nazis promised to spare them from deportation in return for gold.

Although this is a moving tour, the ghetto today is a place of happy activity. Families and friends meet on the central street, where you can find Jewish bakeries and restaurants serving the Roman-Jewish cuisine created by housewives in a time of poverty. Make sure you stop to try some of this unique cuisine after your tour!

Hotel pick-up can be arranged upon request.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What's Included

Private English-speaking guide
Entrance to the Museum of Jewish History

What's Not Included

Gratuities of any type

Pricing & Availability

Please contact us today by either phone or email for assistance with this booking.

Email: team@italyvacationspecialists.com
Toll Free: 1-866-779-2565

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I am a travel agent with All About Honeymoons and I would highly recommend Italy Vacation Specialists. Jessica was wonderful in helping us plan in a last minute anniversary vacation during high season without any issues. She even checked on our clients while on vacation to make sure things were going well. I plan on using them again soon for all my future bookings!… Read More
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Dear Guiseppe and Jesse, We just returned from our most wonderful vacation to Italy and wanted to first thank you for putting together such a wonderful trip, and second to provide some feedback for the future. Hotels 1. Hotel Sovestro in San Gimignano was wonderful. The staff were very friendly and helpful and made the first portion of our journey very stress free. They made… Read More
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