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In 1516, Venice created the world’s first ghetto.

Behind newly locked gates, Jewish residents were confined to a narrow district, navigating curfews, surveillance, and permitted work while the rest of the city continued beyond the walls. There were no riots, no sudden violence—only quiet decisions, written rules, and routines that slowly reshaped everyday life.

This immersive sleep story follows an ordinary resident living inside Venice’s first ghetto, tracing how confinement becomes normal through work, prayer, family, illness, memory, and time itself. It is a story about endurance rather than escape, about dignity maintained through habit and care, and about how life continues even when space, movement, and belonging are carefully restricted.

Told in a calm, restrained tone, this episode is designed to help you fall asleep while exploring a forgotten corner of history—one shaped not by spectacle, but by quiet persistence.

Settle in. Get comfortable. Let the city grow quiet.

🛏️ Drowsy Historian’s Favorite Sleep Tools

Looking to upgrade your nighttime routine? These are a few things I personally use or recommend:

• Sleep Earbuds for Enhanced Immersion → https://amzn.to/47ccNqV

• Blanket Soft Enough to Make the Plague Feel Tolerable → https://amzn.to/3GSOq8f

• Weighted Blanket for Pretending You’re a Mummified Pharaoh → https://amzn.to/4kVJCgE

• Sleep Mask Headphones For Total Historical Escape → https://amzn.to/4nWsNVn

• Book Light for Reading About Plagues at 2AM → https://amzn.to/4eSg0iu

• White Noise Machine for Blocking Out the 21st Century → https://amzn.to/3GJ9jTw

These are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show while staying cozy.

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