
The First Ghetto
Venice and the Origins of Modern Antisemitism
Alexander Lee(Author)
Basic Books (Publisher)
Published on 19. May 2026
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-1-5416-0877-1 (ISBN)
Description
From an acclaimed historian, the definitive story of the Venetian Ghetto and the emergence of modern antisemitism.
“More than a history of a city, the book is a chronicle of a condition, an elegy for Jewish life lived in the paradox of family flourishing and civic exclusion .... A richly researched history of Italian Jewry and its will to live on.” ―Kirkus Reviews
In the early sixteenth century, amidst the ruins of war and mounting religious hatred, the world’s first Jewish “ghetto” was established in Venice. Constrained in cramped, often unsanitary conditions, the Jews who were forced to live there were extorted, abused, and subjected to countless humiliating restrictions. In the centuries that followed, the Venetian Ghetto would become the prototype for ghettos throughout Europe—and pave the way for modern antisemitism.
But this is also a tale of hope. Against the odds, the Ghetto’s residents thrived, creating a vibrant literary, musical, and religious community. They became essential to the survival of Venice itself—and as more Jewish refugees arrived, the Ghetto became a microcosm of the Jewish world.
Tracing its story from its medieval origins to the present day, historian Alexander Lee explores the Ghetto through the eyes of its Jewish inhabitants, from the domestic troubles of a seventeenth-century rabbi to the agonizing wait of a family bound for Auschwitz.
Authoritative, detailed, and timely, this definitive history shows what happens when war and economics collide with hatred—and also offers a powerful warning for the future.
“More than a history of a city, the book is a chronicle of a condition, an elegy for Jewish life lived in the paradox of family flourishing and civic exclusion .... A richly researched history of Italian Jewry and its will to live on.” ―Kirkus Reviews
In the early sixteenth century, amidst the ruins of war and mounting religious hatred, the world’s first Jewish “ghetto” was established in Venice. Constrained in cramped, often unsanitary conditions, the Jews who were forced to live there were extorted, abused, and subjected to countless humiliating restrictions. In the centuries that followed, the Venetian Ghetto would become the prototype for ghettos throughout Europe—and pave the way for modern antisemitism.
But this is also a tale of hope. Against the odds, the Ghetto’s residents thrived, creating a vibrant literary, musical, and religious community. They became essential to the survival of Venice itself—and as more Jewish refugees arrived, the Ghetto became a microcosm of the Jewish world.
Tracing its story from its medieval origins to the present day, historian Alexander Lee explores the Ghetto through the eyes of its Jewish inhabitants, from the domestic troubles of a seventeenth-century rabbi to the agonizing wait of a family bound for Auschwitz.
Authoritative, detailed, and timely, this definitive history shows what happens when war and economics collide with hatred—and also offers a powerful warning for the future.
More details
Language
English
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 150 mm
Thickness: 40 mm
Weight
699 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5416-0877-1 (9781541608771)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2026
Basic Books
€15.99
Available for download
Person
Alexander Lee is a prize-winning historian at the University of Warwick. He is the author of five acclaimed books, including Machiavelli: His Life and Times (a Financial Times Book of the Year). He writes a column for History Today and appears frequently on television, radio, and podcasts. Lee is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He lives in France.