Largely a working class area of the city, Cannaregio became the Jewish Ghetto in 1516 and was enclosed by guarded gates to keep the Jews separated from the rest of Venice. FYI, this was the origin of the Venetian term ghetto, which means a "part of the city to which Jews are restricted", not "this couch is so ghetto", as is commonly thought today.
The district contains the churches of San Giobbe and Madonna dell'Orto.