Rome is a mosaic of distinct neighborhoods, each with a story of its own. Just across the river from Trastevere lies one of the most interesting. It's the ghetto, or Jewish Quarter.

In ancient times, this bridge was called “Jews’ Bridge” because Jews and other foreigners — who weren’t allowed to live in central Rome — would commute from Trastevere, over there, across this bridge, to get into town.

To learn more about her neighborhood, I’m joined by my friend and fellow tour guide, Micaela Pavoncello.

Rick: So what is unique about this Jewish community?
Micaela: Well, this is the most ancient community outside of Israel that was created before the destruction of the temple, therefore, before the diaspora.
Rick: So before 79 A.D.
Micaela: Exactly.
Rick: When did your family come?
Micaela: Oh! My father says before Caesar and I trust him. Yes.
Rick: So now when people think about the Jewish people in Europe, it’s normally.
Micaela: Ashkenazi and Sephardim.
Rick: But this community was even before that.
Micaela: Yes. We are authentic from Jerusalem.
Rick: Way back then. Why did they come to Rome?
Micaela: Rome was good for business after all.
Rick: Why were the Jews tolerated originally?
Micaela: It was more than tolerated. It was protected because they could speak Greek. They could establish connections with the other Jewish communities of the Mediterranean. They were loyal, laborious, and above all, they did not want to convert others.
Rick: But then things changed.
Micaela: Yeah, definitely. After the reform with the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church felt threatened by any alternative religion. And that’s when, in 1555, the pope established a ghetto and Jews were confined in this area.
Rick: Wow.
Micaela: And that was really the beginning of a tough time for my community.

Rick: So what was it like to live in the ghetto?
Micaela: Well, it was miserable. Imagine a four blocks area right to the edge of the water of the Tiber, flooded every single winter because of the rain, in buildings that were keeping adding floors because there was no space. So you have the first skyscrapers of Rome in the ghetto.
Rick: So what’s the state of Rome’s Jewish community today?
Micaela: Well, we’re still here. There’s 14,000 of us. We have Jewish schools, kosher restaurants, and our culture is still strong.

The synagogue was and is the community center. Designed around 1900 after Jews were granted full civil rights, it became one of the city’s most prominent places of worship.

The interior is Art Nouveau with a dash of Tiffany. The dome gleams with the colors of the rainbow — a reminder of God’s promise to Noah that there would be no more floods. The stars symbolized that the Jewish people would be as many as the stars in the sky.

While most of the squalid ghetto was demolished with Italian unification in 1870, the buildings facing the main drag survive. Shops sell fine, locally produced Judaica, the bakery keeps grandma happy, and kosher restaurants proudly serve traditional dishes, like those with artichokes. While the Jewish community now lives all over town, many Roman Jews still enjoy gathering here in the neighborhood where they have such deep roots.

Another of Rome’s oldest neighborhoods hides behind a towering wall that dates to ancient times.

This was a fire wall built to protect the monumental center from a rough and fire-prone working-class neighborhood on the outside.

Today, this survives as a trendy and quintessentially Roman district called Monti. More trendy than rough these days, Monti is an inviting place to enjoy funky boutiques and fashionable shops…to hang out with friends, and to enjoy a relaxed vibe. How this charming little bit of village Rome still enjoys life on its terms, so close to some of Italy’s busiest sights, is a marvel.

Monti’s charms continue into the evening, when you can enjoy a simple meal or a spritz with friends at an inviting trattoria or bar. Or you can join the gang at Piazza della Madonna dei Monti. Its fountain is the neighborhood’s meeting point — and after hours, it’s thronged with young Romans — with their mini-market drinks to go — socializing, and enjoying a Monti moment on the cheap.