podtour
San Polo and Santa Croce: Courtesans, Turks and Runaway Lovers
Away from the queues, between Santa Croce and San Polo, Venice shows you how it kept control of anyone who didn't fit in.
The Venice Ghetto: audio walk in Venice
The first place in the world to be called a ghetto, told from the very record that created it: a vote, two gates, guards paid for by the people locked inside, Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal, a poet, a rabbi who gambled, synagogues the law forbade, and the list one man refused to hand over.
What this walk is about
In 1516 a councillor proposed shutting the Jews of Venice into a place "like a castle". This short, packed walk takes you through the Old and the New Ghetto to understand how it was decided, how people lived there and how it ended. You'll hear where the word ghetto comes from, who the "Ponentini" from Spain and Portugal were, how a poet opened her salon to Christians and how, according to a satirical text, she was robbed with a trick involving spirits, and how a rabbi preached against gambling but couldn't give it up. In the square, the houses that grew upwards because there was no room, the coloured banks and the façades that hide synagogues. The ending is sober: the gates torn down in 1797, and what happened in 1943 and 1944. A lived-in neighbourhood: you listen from the street, and with respect.
- Start
- An enclosure with two gates
- Finish
- The names on the list
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about Jewish and Sephardic history and social history.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
An enclosure with two gates
- 2
The word that came from a foundry
- 3
The people who came from the west
- 4
The rabbi who gambled
- 5
The poet and the spirits
- 6
Yellow hats and doctors after dark
- 7
When there was no room left
- 8
Three ghettos and a word that changed
- 9
Red, green and black
- 10
The synagogues that weren't supposed to exist
- 11
The gate that was torn down
- 12
The names on the list
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Venice, before you go
In Venice, the shortest way depends on finding a bridge. Set off lightly loaded, in good shoes, with patience for the detours the water imposes.
More walks nearby
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
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A little welcome gift
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on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.