The unofficial Jubilee Year guide to Rome

National Catholic Reporter, Oct 20, 2000 by John L. Jr. Allen

However quirky Bruno's belief system, the memory of a church so bent on the preservation of orthodoxy that it could burn him for questioning it is a dark one indeed. It is a sobering reminder of the excesses of passion to which those who style themselves defenders of the faith -- any faith -- can succumb.

In modern Rome the monument to Bruno has become a rallying point for anyone with a beef against the Catholic church. Dozens of exhibitions and events have been scheduled over the course of this year in conjunction with the 400th anniversary of Bruno's execution, representing something of a year-long "counter-Jubilee." Last February, reenactments of Bruno's trial and execution were staged in the Campo along with quasi-religious services celebrating his memory. (Not everyone was thrilled; one exasperated American observer later wrote in Slate, "What's the point of being an atheist if you are compelled to come together with a lot of other atheists to chant and holler?")

The monument depicts Bruno in a hooded, brooding pose. Yet the surrounding ambience of the Campo De'Fiori is anything but morose; it is, in fact, home to Rome's most lively outdoor market during the day, and a popular gathering place for young Romans at night. It was closed for much of 1999 to put in new sewers and to relay the cobblestone so the square is more user-friendly, yet there remains something charmingly seedy about it. Early morning visitors are always rewarded with the aroma of last evening's spilled wine. The Campo also boasts a terrific restaurant, La Carbonara, which -- as the name suggests -- offers a splendid version of the pasta invented in Rome.

The Jewish ghetto

Rome's Jewish community is the oldest in Europe, dating back to the second century B.C. Even though it is no longer home to many of Rome's Jewish families, most still do business here or attend the massive Rome synagogue, the Tempio Israelitico, for Sabbath services.

The main entrance to the ghetto is on the Portico d'Octavia, just across from the Isola Tiberina on the Tiber River.

Harassment of Rome's Jews, especially confinement to the ghetto, did not develop until the late Middle Ages. Prior to the 13th century, Jews worked as bankers and silk merchants and held public office. Jewish doctors were celebrated and often attended to popes. Jews could own property and live wherever they wanted.

However, by 1200, their fortunes began to change. The Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 forced all Jews to wear a red mantle, a circle of yellow cloth or an orange cap. Only physicians attending the popes were exempt. The annual carnival was a particularly dangerous time. In 1468, the practice of races began where Jews were sometimes dragged in barrels spiked with nails or forced to run through jeering crowds from the Piazza Navona to the Corso. The races continued for 200 years until Clement IX accepted money from the Jewish community in place of its participation.

The Counter Reformation era likewise transformed Jewish life in Rome for the worse, converting the community into one of Europe's most impoverished. In 1555 Pope Paul IV decreed that Jews must live segregated in their ghetto behind gates; they must sell all their property to Christians (usually at tremendous discounts); they could have only one synagogue, but no Jewish signs or symbols were allowed; they could not employ Christian servants; they had to wear distinctive clothing and they could trade only in second-hand goods. During the day, they could venture into other parts of Rome, but the ghetto gates were closed from sundown to sun-up. The Jewish community, moreover, was taxed heavily by the pope, in part to support a "house of catechumens" whose specific purpose was to convert Jews to Catholicism.