TIBER ISLAND

Description

Essentials about Tiber Island in brief

Most tourists to Rome turn their back to Tiber Island on a trip to the Eternal City, although it is well worth a short visit. On the one hand, it is the only island within the Roman city area and on the other hand, the Tiber Island is also quite interesting from an architectural and historical point of view.

The bridges to Tiber Island

The island, which is about 270 meters long and about 67 meters wide at its widest point, has the shape of a boat and was already of great importance in the early Roman period, as it allowed the crossing of the river. It is connected to the mainland by two bridges that have existed since ancient times: Ponte Fabricio, which leads from the northeastern part of the island towards the Marcellus Theater on the left bank of the Tiber, and Ponte Cestio, which connects the island to Trastevere, a district on the right bank.

The two bridges are still in more or less good condition 2000 years after their construction. The oldest bridge still standing is Ponte Fabricio, built in 62 B.C. under the name of Pons Fabricius to replace a wooden bridge. On the bridge railing there are two columns with marble herms showing a four-headed Janus, the god of the beginning and the end. No wonder, then, that the bridge is commonly referred to by local residents as Pont dei Quattro Capi (Bridge of the Four Heads). Guarding the bridge is the medieval Torre dei Caetani, a fortified tower built in the 10th century and later incorporated into the complex of St. Bartholomew’s Church. On the opposite side, Ponte Cestio connects the Tiber Island to the Trastevere district. This bridge was built in 42 BC as Pons Cestius. Due to the extension of the bridge in the 19th century, only the central arch remains in its original state.

From the two bridges can be seen the remains of an even older bridge, the Pons Aemilius, first built in 179 BC. In 142 BC it was rebuilt as the first stone bridge in Rome. The bridge was destroyed by the flood of 1598 and never repaired. Its only remaining arch is known today as the Ponte Rotto (broken bridge). Still visible today is the magnificently sculpted relief of a dragon, the heraldic animal of Pope Gregory XIII, which was added in the 16th century.

The legend of the origin of Tiber Island

According to legend, the Tiber Island was formed when Roman citizens banished the last Tarquinian king. Enraged, the rebels threw bundles of wheat they had stolen from the king into the river. Dirt and mud accumulated around the wheat and soon formed an island. In reality, however, the island was formed long before the Etruscan rule over Rome, probably naturally, when the river became wider and the current weaker.

The history of Tiber Island

The history of the island has always been closely linked to the healing arts, more precisely in the form of Aesculapius, the Roman version of the Greek god of medicine and healing Asclepius. In 293 BC, a plague struck Rome and the Romans decided to send a delegation to the Greek city of Epidaurus to bring back a sacred serpent, the symbol of Asclepius. When the delegation returned home, their ship ran aground near the Tiber Island. The snake, however, managed to escape the sinking ship and entwine itself around a tree stump, reaching the island safely. Even today, the image of the snake coiled around a staff is a widespread symbol of medicine. The Romans decided that the snake had probably chosen the island as the site for a temple in honor of Aesculapius. After the temple was completed in 291 B.C., other shrines were erected on Tiber Island, including one in honor of the river god Tiberinus and one in honor of Bellona, the goddess of war.

Tiber island as an island of healing arts

Since the construction of the Temple of Aesculapius, the island has been associated with healing. Although the legend sees it somewhat differently, the island was probably chosen as a place for healing mainly because of its remoteness from the mainland, which made it an ideal location for treating people with contagious diseases. In ancient times, people who had no chance of recovery were housed in the Temple of Aesculapius. In the Middle Ages, plague sufferers were banished and buried here. The Fatebenefratelli Hospital (Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy) was built in 1584 to treat plague patients on the island and still exists today.

The boat-like shape of the island and the legend of the serpent gave the Romans the idea of making the island look even more like a ship and fortifying it with a seawall made of travertine. The western tip resembles the stern of a ship, and the eastern tip of the island was built in the style of the bow of a trireme. The image of a ship was further forced when an Egyptian obelisk was placed in front of the Temple of Aesculapius. The obelisk served as a ship’s mast, and the temple resembled a wheelhouse.

The sights on Tiber Island

Today, little remains of the ancient Roman buildings, although some remains of the travertine nave construction are still preserved – including a relief decoration of the serpent of Aesculapius. The most important buildings on the island date back to the Middle Ages, including the aforementioned hospital, the Torre Caetani, a 10th century fortress tower, and a church in honor of St. Bartholomew.

In 998 AD, Emperor Otto III ordered the construction of a church on the foundations of the Temple of Aesculapius. The church, built with materials from the ancient buildings, was dedicated to St. Adalbert, former bishop of Prague and friend of the emperor. The mortal remains of Adalbert, who died in 997, were moved to this church to be venerated as relics. The emperor also transferred the bones of the apostle Bartholomew to the church. Adalbert was considered a foreign saint by the Romans, so the church was rededicated to St. Bartholomew in the 12th century.

The church was rebuilt in the early 12th century, but its current appearance dates from around 1624, when it was rebuilt after massive damage from flooding. Only the Romanesque bell tower from the 12th century remained untouched. The front facade is baroque. Inside there is a small fountain from the Ottonian period, probably built on the ancient fountain of the Temple of Aesculapius. The statues around the fountain represent Jesus, Bartholomew, Adalbert and Otto III.

In front of the church there is a small piazza with the Colonna Infame (Pillar of Shame) in the center. Until the middle of the 19th century, people who had not fulfilled their Easter duties were denounced here by writing their names on this column. Opposite the church is the Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy.