The Jewish Ghetto and Aventine Hill sit on opposite sides of the Circus Maximus valley, each offering a radically different Rome from the tourist-heavy center. The Ghetto is compact, history-dense, and still a living community; the Aventine is one of the city's quietest residential heights, with rose gardens and one of its most surprising viewpoints.
Located in Rome
Rome's Jewish Ghetto is one of the oldest continuously inhabited Jewish communities in Europe, compressed into a few narrow streets between the Tiber and Largo di Torre Argentina, where Roman ruins push up through the pavement and a neighborhood grocery might stand against a wall from the second century BC. A short walk south, the Aventine Hill offers a different tempo entirely: terraced gardens, early Christian basilicas, and a famous keyhole view of St. Peter's dome that stops people mid-sentence.
Geographically, these two areas feel like separate worlds, but they are linked by proximity and by the fact that most travelers who visit one tend to explore the other on the same day. The Jewish Ghetto occupies the ancient Rione Sant'Angelo, wedged between the Tiber to the west, Largo di Torre Argentina to the north, and the base of the Capitoline Hill to the east. Its core streets, including Via del Portico d'Ottavia, Piazza delle Cinque Scole, and the lanes fanning out toward Lungotevere de' Cenci, cover about 0.28 square kilometers.
The Aventine Hill rises immediately south of the Circus Maximus valley, about 1 kilometer from the Ghetto's southern edge at the Teatro di Marcello. It is one of Rome's original seven hills, and today it functions as one of the city's most quietly upscale residential zones. The hill's main sites, the Aventine Keyhole at the Knights of Malta and the orange garden at Giardino degli Aranci, sit near the crest of the hill, accessible by walking uphill from Circo Massimo metro station on Line B.
Together, these two areas make an ideal full-day itinerary. Start at the Ghetto in the morning when the produce vendors are out and the synagogue square is quiet, then walk south past the Circus Maximus to the Aventine for the afternoon, when the light over the city turns warm and the orange garden terrace is at its most atmospheric.
ℹ️ Good to know
The Jewish Ghetto has no dedicated metro station. The closest options are the bus stops at Largo di Torre Argentina (several lines) or a 15-20 minute walk from the Colosseo stop on Line B. For the Aventine, use Circo Massimo on Line B, then walk uphill about 10 minutes.
The Jewish Ghetto is one of those neighborhoods where history does not feel archived. It feels inhabited. The community here traces its roots to well before the papal confinement that began in 1555, when Pope Paul IV issued the bull Cum Nimis Absurdum and ordered Rome's Jewish population into a walled enclosure of barely four hectares along the Tiber. The walls came down after Italian Unification in 1870, but the neighborhood retained its character: the synagogue, the food traditions, the tight street pattern, the mix of Jewish-owned shops and cafes alongside Roman ruins that predate Christianity entirely.
On a weekday morning, Via del Portico d'Ottavia has a genuine neighborhood feel. Locals stop to talk outside the bakeries, elderly residents cross the square slowly, and the ruins of the Portico d'Ottavia itself frame the street in a way that is completely matter-of-fact. By midday, the tourist traffic increases noticeably, particularly around the synagogue and the ancient gate structure. Afternoons in summer can feel crowded on the main street, but step one block in either direction and the pace drops immediately.
The Aventine Hill has almost no tourist infrastructure to speak of, which is exactly what makes it worth the climb. The streets here are wide, lined with umbrella pines and walled villa gardens. On weekday afternoons you may walk for ten minutes without passing another tourist. The main sound is birdsong from the Giardino degli Aranci. After dark, both neighborhoods are very safe; the Ghetto has a steady restaurant crowd on weekend evenings, while the Aventine is almost entirely residential by nightfall.
The Portico d'Ottavia is the neighborhood's defining monument: a colossal Roman gateway complex built in the first century BC, partially ruined, and partially absorbed into the medieval church of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria. You walk through it rather than around it, which gives it an intimacy that larger ruins rarely have. Just to the south, the Jewish Ghetto contains the Museo Ebraico di Roma, attached to the Great Synagogue on Lungotevere de' Cenci. The synagogue itself, completed in 1904, has a distinctive square dome visible from across the river. Museum entry includes a guided tour of the building's interior, which is genuinely impressive.
Ponte Fabricio, built in 62 BC and still carrying foot traffic today, connects the Ghetto to Tiber Island at the northern end of the neighborhood. It is the oldest bridge in Rome still in its original form. Crossing it and spending ten minutes on Tiber Island, one of the city's strangest and most serene spots, requires almost no effort and rewards it considerably. The island has been associated with medicine since antiquity and today still houses a hospital.
The Teatro di Marcello, just beyond the southern edge of the Ghetto proper, is one of Rome's underappreciated ancient structures. Built under Augustus, it served as the architectural model for the Colosseum and was later converted into a Renaissance palazzo. Its curved facade, with stacked arches still intact, is best seen from Via del Teatro di Marcello in the early morning before the street fills with traffic.
The Knights of Malta keyhole on Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta is one of those sights that works exactly as described and still somehow exceeds expectations. Through a small keyhole in a heavy wooden door, you see a perfectly framed view of St. Peter's Basilica dome at the end of a long garden corridor. The alignment is deliberate. There is usually a short queue; it moves quickly. The square itself, designed by Piranesi in the 18th century, is worth a few minutes of attention on its own.
A short walk from the keyhole brings you to the Giardino degli Aranci, a terrace garden planted with bitter orange trees. The view from the garden's belvedere over the Tiber, the dome of St. Peter's, and the tiled rooftops of Trastevere is one of the better panoramas in Rome, and it requires no ticket and almost no effort. Come in the late afternoon when the light comes from the west and falls directly on the domes across the river. The basilica of Santa Sabina, one of Rome's best-preserved early Christian churches, stands directly adjacent to the garden; its 5th-century wooden doors and column-lined nave are extraordinary and almost always empty.
💡 Local tip
The Giardino degli Aranci closes at sunset. If you want the best light over the city, arrive about 45 minutes before official closing time and stay until the garden staff politely moves you along.
The Jewish Ghetto has one of Rome's most distinctive food identities, rooted in the cucina ebraico-romanesca tradition that developed over centuries in this neighborhood. The signature dishes are not what you find in a standard Roman trattoria. Carciofi alla giudia (artichokes deep-fried until crisp and golden), filetti di baccalà (battered salt cod, served hot from the fryer), and torta di ricotta e visciole (a ricotta and sour cherry tart) are Ghetto staples that travelers specifically come for.
Several of the restaurants along Via del Portico d'Ottavia are kosher-certified and close on Friday evening and Saturday for Shabbat. This is worth noting if you plan a Saturday lunch in the neighborhood. Non-kosher Roman trattorias operate on normal hours in the surrounding streets. Prices in the Ghetto skew slightly higher than comparable neighborhoods because of the tourist draw and the kosher certification overhead, but the food quality at the established spots tends to justify it.
Coffee options in the Ghetto are good. The neighborhood has several traditional bars where a standing espresso costs standard Roman prices. For pastries, the Jewish bakeries produce ricotta-based sweets and almond cookies that differ noticeably from the cornetti you find everywhere else in Rome. On Friday mornings before Shabbat, some bakeries sell out of their best products by mid-morning.
The Aventine has almost no food infrastructure for visitors. It is a residential hill without cafes or restaurants on its main walking circuit. Eat in the Ghetto or in the Testaccio market area before climbing the Aventine, and consider packing something for the garden.
⚠️ What to skip
Several restaurants in the Jewish Ghetto are closed on Saturday (Shabbat) and on Jewish holidays. If you plan to eat in the neighborhood on a Saturday, check ahead or have a backup option nearby in the centro storico.
The Jewish Ghetto is best reached on foot from several central areas. From the Campo de' Fiori, it is about a 5-minute walk east across Via Arenula. From the Capitoline Museums on the Capitoline Hill, walk down the southern slope and you arrive at the Teatro di Marcello in under 10 minutes. From Piazza Venezia, it is roughly the same distance heading southwest. Bus lines along Via Arenula and Lungotevere de' Cenci serve the area. The nearest significant bus hub is Largo di Torre Argentina, about 5 minutes north on foot.
There is no metro station directly serving the Ghetto. The Colosseo station on Line B is a 15-20 minute walk via the Capitoline Hill, which is actually a reasonable and scenic route. Taxis and ride-sharing apps can drop you on Via Arenula or Lungotevere de' Cenci, both of which border the neighborhood.
For the Aventine Hill, take Metro Line B to Circo Massimo. From the station, walk south past the Circus Maximus and then uphill along Via del Circo Massimo or Via di Santa Sabina. The walk from the metro to the keyhole takes about 12-15 minutes depending on your pace and how many times you stop to look at the view opening up behind you. The hill is entirely walkable but the streets are steep in places; comfortable shoes matter.
If you are combining both areas in one day, the most logical route runs: Ghetto in the morning, south along Via del Teatro di Marcello, past the Bocca della Verità in the Forum Boarium, then up the Aventine. This keeps you on foot the entire time across about 3 kilometers, which is manageable in 2-3 hours of walking.
ℹ️ Good to know
Rome's ATAC bus network covers the Ghetto area well but routes change periodically. Check the ATAC website or the Moovit app for current routes before your visit. Single tickets cost €1.50 and are valid for 100 minutes.
The Jewish Ghetto is a genuinely good base for exploring central Rome, underrated compared to Trastevere and the centro storico. Accommodation in the Ghetto itself is limited. A handful of small hotels and B&Bs operate on the quieter internal streets, offering the advantage of a neighborhood that feels local even to repeat Rome visitors. Noise is minimal compared to the area around Campo de' Fiori or the Spanish Steps, and the central location means most major sites are reachable on foot.
For wider hotel choice, the area just north of the Ghetto toward Largo di Torre Argentina and Via del Corso has more options at various price points. Staying anywhere in this corridor puts you within 15 minutes of the Ghetto, Trastevere, Capitoline Hill, and Pantheon simultaneously, which is as central as Rome gets.
The Aventine is a residential neighborhood with very limited tourist accommodation. It suits travelers who prioritize quiet over convenience and do not mind being a short metro ride from the main attractions. For a fuller picture of where to base yourself in Rome, the where to stay in Rome guide covers all the main options across the city with honest assessments of who each area suits.
These two neighborhoods sit at the intersection of several of Rome's most historically significant areas. The Ghetto's northern edge touches Largo di Torre Argentina, one of Rome's most important Republican-era temple complexes (and the site where Julius Caesar was assassinated). Walk east from the Ghetto and within minutes you are climbing the Capitoline Hill toward the museums and the Forum view. Walk north and you reach the Pantheon district in under 15 minutes.
South of the Aventine, the neighborhood of Testaccio offers one of Rome's most authentic market and food scenes at the Mercato di Testaccio, plus nightlife, the Non-Catholic Cemetery, and the Baths of Caracalla just beyond. This whole southern arc of Rome, from the Ghetto through the Aventine to Testaccio and the Baths, can be covered in a long day and provides a very different picture of the city from the Colosseum-and-Vatican circuit that most itineraries default to.
For travelers building a longer Rome itinerary, this area pairs well with the ancient core. A morning at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill followed by an afternoon in the Ghetto and Aventine covers both the archaeological Rome and the living, layered city in a single day without excessive backtracking.
Through a simple iron gate on the Aventine Hill, one small keyhole frames St. Peter's Basilica with uncanny precision, the dome centered in a tunnel of manicured hedgerow. It takes ten seconds to look through, but the image stays with you far longer. Free to visit, open around the clock, and still underused by most Roman itineraries.
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