Strolling into the Jewish Ghetto right here, within the Cannaregio part of this watery metropolis, you wouldn’t know that there are 5 ornate synagogues nestled behind the partitions of the nondescript tenements that date again to the Sixteenth century.

The temples have been constructed on the highest flooring — based on Jewish legislation, synagogues needs to be the tallest buildings in a given space — and needed to be hidden as a result of Jews weren’t allowed to hope overtly. These homes of worship have been a lifeline for the estimated 5,000 Jews who lived within the ghetto at its most populous — a spot to assemble, have fun rites of passage, take refuge from a world that didn’t need them.