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The Enigmatic Treasures of Tiber Island

📖 Introduction

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The Tiber River, which flows through Rome, is the third longest river in Italy. Stretching approximately 252 miles, its final 25-mile stretch—known as the Roman section—is navigable. The river’s name originates from the ancient Roman god Tiberinus, the son of Janus and the nymph Camasene.

The Tiber has two islands, but only one is located in the city center. It’s a small island—easy to take in at a glance and walk across, though not all of it is accessible for strolling. Measuring just under 980 feet in length and 220 feet in width, it has fascinated and inspired people for centuries, with a history that dates back to Rome’s oldest legends.

From the Birth of the Island to the Arrival of Aesculapius

One legend tells of the sudden formation of the island in 509 BCE, during the reign of Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus. When the people, weary of his tyranny, rebelled and expelled him from the city, they also confiscated his wealth. Grain and bundles of wheat from his fields outside the city were thrown into the Tiber. Mixed with silt and stones, they settled in the river’s shallowest part, and within a year, an island emerged.

Today, the right side of the island is occupied by the Fatebenefratelli Hospital, but even in ancient times, it was a place of healing—chosen by the gods themselves. According to legend, during a devastating plague in 293 BCE, the god Aesculapius arrived in Rome in the form of a sacred serpent and made his home on the island in the middle of the Tiber.

It all began with a prophecy recorded in the Sibylline Books, which foretold that the plague would end when the god of medicine arrived in the city. In response, Roman envoys traveled to Epidaurus, home to the temple of Asclepius, the Greek counterpart of Aesculapius. They returned with a sacred serpent, which, during the journey, chose its own resting place for the new temple—on the island in the Tiber. Soon after its arrival, the plague subsided, and a temple was built in the god’s honor. A nearby spring was also discovered and began to be used for its healing properties.

In antiquity, the sanctuary of Aesculapius was the site of a ritual called incubatio, along with the practice of oneiromancythe interpretation of dreams. After a period of purification and fasting, the sick would spend the night in the temple. Upon waking, they would recount their dreams to the priests, who would interpret them and prescribe treatments—many of which proved effective. Additionally, under an edict by Emperor Claudius, enslaved individuals who recovered from their illnesses were granted freedom.

To commemorate these events, the island was shaped to resemble a stone ship, with an obelisk at its center symbolizing a mast. In the 1st century BCE, bridges were built to connect the island to the mainland, and its banks were reinforced with travertine blocks.

The Oldest Roman Bridges

The island can be reached from both sides via the Fabricius Bridge and the Cestius Bridge.

The first, the Fabricius Bridge, connects the island to the former Jewish Ghetto and is the oldest surviving bridge in Rome that remains in its original form. It was once called the “Jewish Bridge,” but its more common nickname is the “Bridge of the Four Heads.” This name comes from the sculpted heads that adorn two pillars at the bridge’s entrance. According to legend, these heads depict four distinguished Roman architects who were tasked by Pope Sixtus V with restoring the bridge. However, their constant bickering and inability to work together delayed the project. Enraged by their behavior, the pope ordered their execution, and their heads were placed on the bridge as a warning to others.

pons-cestius-romeThe Fabricius Bridge was built in 62 BCE by Lucius Fabricius, the curator of public roads, as confirmed by an inscription on the bridge itself. According to Roman law, he was personally responsible for the quality of his construction. To prove its durability, Fabricius stood beneath the bridge in a boat while carts and people passed overhead, demonstrating his confidence in its strength. Roman law required bridges to last at least 40 years—the Fabricius Bridge has stood for over 2,000 years, a lasting testament to its builder’s skill.

The second, the Cestius Bridge, connects the island to the Trastevere district. It was built in 44 BCE by Gaius Cestius Epulo. Although older than the Fabricius Bridge, only its central arch remains original—its other spans were reconstructed in the late 19th century. At the center of the bridge, a heavily worn plaque commemorates a major reconstruction in 370 CE, during which travertine stone from the nearby Theater of Marcellus was repurposed for the bridge’s renovation.

A Hospital Like No Other

The Fatebenefratelli Hospital, located on Tiber Island, has been run for centuries by the Order of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God. It was founded in 1585, and its name comes from the phrase frequently used by the monks—“Fate bene, fratelli!” (“Do good, brothers!“)—which they called out to passersby while collecting donations. The order itself, known as the “Good Brothers”, was established in 1539 by Saint John of God, a pioneer of modern hospital care. His mission was inspired by personal experience—wrongly accused of mental illness, he was confined in an asylum and witnessed firsthand the horrific conditions of medical care at the time. After regaining his freedom, he opened his first hospital in Granada, revolutionizing patient treatment.

hospital-tiber-island-romeThe hospital on Tiber Island played a crucial role during Rome’s major epidemics, including the 1656 plague and the 1832 cholera outbreak. Its location made it an ideal quarantine center for the city’s residents. Over time, it also became a specialized medical academy, where physicians were trained in treating epidemics and infectious diseases.

Today, the hospital remains operational with multiple departments, but it is especially renowned for its exceptional neonatal unit. Because of this, there is a saying that only children born on the island are true Romans.

A Heroic Stand During World War II

Fatebenefratelli Hospital is also remembered for its heroic role during World War II. On October 16, 1943, when SS troops stormed the Roman Ghetto and began the deportation of over 1,000 Jewish residents, some of those fleeing found refuge in the hospital’s infectious disease ward.

In a remarkable act of bravery, Italian doctors fabricated medical records, diagnosing these refugees with a deadly, highly contagious disease called “Syndrome K”—a completely fictional illness. The name was a covert reference to Herbert Kappler, the SS commander in Rome responsible for the deportations.

Fearing infection, the Nazi soldiers refused to enter the ward, sparing the lives of those hidden inside. Meanwhile, across the river in Trastevere, false Italian identity papers were being printed, allowing many to escape persecution.

When the Allied forces liberated Rome on June 4, 1944, the “Syndrome K” ward was shut down, and its “patients” were finally free. The hospital’s chief physician, Dr. Giovanni Borromeo, who orchestrated the rescue, was later honored as a “Righteous Among the Nations”, the highest Israeli civilian award given by Yad Vashem to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

He is remembered for his powerful words:
“There is only one race—the human race.”

A Basilica Honoring Martyrs

Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola
Tuesday
09:30 AM – 01:30 PM
03:30 PM – 05:30 PM
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san-bartolomeo-all-isolaOn the left side of Tiber Island, there is a small square where an Egyptian obelisk once stood until the 15th century. Today, in its place stands a monument topped with a small tower and adorned with statues of Saint Bartholomew, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Paulinus of Nola, and Saint John of God. Just behind it rises one of Rome’s titular churches—the Basilica of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, built on the site of the ancient Temple of Aesculapius.

The basilica was founded in the 10th century by Emperor Otto III, who gifted it a relic received from Polish King Bolesław the Brave—the arm of Saint Adalbert, Bishop of Prague. A few years later, to elevate the church’s significance, the remains of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle were brought here. The apostle was more widely venerated in Rome, which is why the church’s façade bears the inscription:

“IN HAC BASILICA REQUIESCIT CORPUS S. BARTHOLOMAEI APOSTOLI”
(“In this basilica rests the body of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle.”)

The present basilica dates back to the late 16th century, rebuilt after devastating floods of the Tiber. In 1999, Pope John Paul II designated the church as the Memorial of New Martyrs, dedicated to studying the history of Christian martyrdom in the 20th century.

Inside, on the stairway leading to the altar, there is a marble well curb decorated with images of Christ, Saint Adalbert, and Saint Bartholomew. It likely dates back to around 1000 AD. Beneath it lies an actual ancient well, once believed to be a healing spring from the days of Aesculapius’ temple.

The Unfortunate Maid and the Tower of Legends

tower-of-the-maid-romeThe island is also home to a medieval defensive tower—the Torre Caetani, once part of the Caetani family’s fortifications. It is also known as the “Tower of the Maid” (Torre della Pulzella) because of a sculpted female head embedded in its wall.

According to legend, in the 14th century, a young noblewoman was imprisoned in the tower after refusing an arranged marriage. She faithfully waited for her beloved to return from war, but he never came back. It is said that even today, unaware of the passing centuries, she still gazes out, awaiting his return.

In reality, the sculpted head dates back to the 1st century AD, but this tragic and romantic story continues to capture the imagination of visitors.

In 1638, the tower was entrusted to the Order of Friars Minor, who had cared for the nearby Church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle since 1536. Later, in 1876, most of the tower was acquired by the city and leased to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The Miraculous Image of the Madonna

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Opposite the tower stands the Church of Saint John of God, built in the late 16th century on the ruins of an older church mentioned in a 1018 papal bull by Pope Benedict VIII. Inside, it houses a 13th-century painting known as Our Lady of the Lamp, associated with a legendary event.

According to tradition, during the Tiber flood of 1557, the sacred image was swept away by the waters, along with a burning votive lamp placed before it. When the painting was later retrieved from the river, the lamp was still burning. A copy of this painting is displayed on the church’s exterior.

The Brotherhood of the Red Hoods

The church is also home to the Brotherhood of the Red Hoods (Sacconi Rossi). Established in the 17th century as the Brotherhood of Devotees of Christ of Calvary and Our Lady of Sorrows, its members had a grim yet noble mission—they recovered the bodies of drowned victims from the Tiber and buried those who had no one to claim them.

Their remains were arranged on the walls and floors of a crypt beneath the church, forming an underground cemetery that is only open to the public on November 2All Souls’ Day.

On this day, after evening Mass, the brotherhood members—dressed in red cloaks and hoods—form a torchlit procession to the Tiber. There, they cast a wreath into the river, honoring all who lost their lives in its waters. They then return to the church’s crypt, where they offer prayers for the souls of the departed.

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