Tiberina is a legendary island in Rome in the middle of the Tiber. Island of Tiberina - what's in your name Island of Tiberius in Rome
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The history of the island of Tiberina in Rome is primarily associated with tragic events recent years royal rule.
(This topic is described in detail in the article “Legends of the Island of Tiberina in Rome”). It seemed that nothing could correct the bad reputation of the island. And yet, the evil fate of Tiberina was changed.
This was, surprisingly, another terrible event in the life of the city.
In the 3rd century BC, Rome was hit by a terrible plague epidemic. At that time, the plague could be dealt with in the only way - divine. To do this, we turned to the predictions of the Cumaean Sibyl (Sibyl = sibyl = fortuneteller). (It’s interesting that the scrolls with these prophecies were bought from the Sibyl of Qom by Tarquin the Proud. Perhaps this is how, several centuries later, Tarquin the Proud repaid the city with good for his atrocities?)
So, according to these predictions, in order to save Rome from the plague, a temple should be built in Rome in honor of Asclepius or Aesculapius - the Greek god of healing and medicine. But, in order to build this magical temple “correctly” it was necessary to bring a snake (a symbol of immortality and an attribute of Aesculapius) and statues of the deity from Eupidar itself - Greek city with the sacred altar to Aesculapius.
Rome. Tiberina Island. In the foreground is the arch of the "Destroyed Bridge" - the Emilio Bridge
For this purpose, the Roman Senate equipped a ship for voyage. The expedition to Eupidar went well, and when the ship entered the city harbor, the “sacred snake Aesculapius” crawled away from the ship and settled on the island of Tiberina. This was perceived as a good sign from above, so it was decided to build a temple in honor of Asclepius/Aesculapius on Tiberin.
Reconstruction of Tiberina
Soon the island of Tiberina and the temple of Aesculapius were so combined in the minds of the Romans that in the 1st century BC it was decided to give the entire island the shape of a ship from Eupidar, lining the shores of the island with travertine.
At the same time, bridges were built connecting Tiberina with the Campus Martius - the Fabrizio or Fabricio bridge; and the bridge from the island to Trastevere: the Cestio Bridge. After this, Tiberina is sometimes called “the island between two bridges.”
Pagan temples of the island of Tiberina
After the sanctuary of Aesculapius, temples and altars were built on the island to other pagan gods: Jupiter, Sanku, Gaia, Faun, Vecovis, Tiberinus and Belonna. These temples have not survived to this day, just like the temple of Aesculapius himself.
Tiberina in Christian times
On the ruins of the Temple of Asclepius at the end of the 10th century, Emperor Otto III built a church in honor of Adalbert of Prague, whom he knew personally. It is interesting that the emperor began building the church a year before the saint’s canonization. The consecration of this basilica in honor of St. Bartolomeo took place later, presumably in 1624, when the church was being rebuilt.
Tiberina is a small island on the Tiber River, located in the very center tourist routes Rome, next to the Portico of Octavia and the Theater of Marcellus. Its length reaches 300 m and width 70 m. The island's embankment is enclosed in stone and has the shape of a boat; the river in this place falls in a small cascade, which creates a picturesque picture.
- In the northeastern part, the island is connected by the Fabricio Bridge to the road leading to the Campus Martius. The Fabricio Stone Bridge is the most ancient structure in Rome across the Tiber River. The bridge was built in 61 BC, named after the Roman road builder Lucius Fabricius and has a length of more than 60 meters.
- The southern part of the island connects with. The Cestio Bridge was built in 45 BC and named after an ancient Roman family.
In the 3rd century BC, a plague epidemic began in Rome. From the predictions of the Kuma Sibylla it followed that in order to stop the disease it was necessary to build a temple in honor of Aesculapius. A snake, a symbol of healing, had to choose a place for construction, and it had to be delivered from the Greek city of Eupidara. A ship equipped by the Roman Senate brought the snake to its home port. The sacred symbol of medicine crawled out and headed straight to the island of the Tiber, which was taken as an indication of the gods.
Soon the temple of Aesculapius was built on the island of Tiberina, and the plague epidemic stopped. The grateful Romans decided to cover the island itself with travertine and give it the shape of a ship sailing to Eupidar.
Sights of the island of Tiberina
The small island is home to several of Rome's historical and cultural attractions. Small island For many centuries the Romans associated it with the hope of healing. Today it houses the active Fatebenefratelli Hospital. Among the attractions on the island you can see:
- was built by order of Otto III in 1000 on the site of the ancient temple of Aesculapius. A memorial to Christian new martyrs of the 20th and 21st centuries has been created at the church with a collection of personal belongings of murdered and tortured Christian priests over the last century.
- The 14th century church of San Giovanni Chalibita is located almost on the Fabricio Bridge. Inside one of the chapels is the famous 13th century icon of the Madonna della lampada.
- The castellated tower of Caetani was built as a defensive structure not only from external enemies, but also from its closest neighbors during the period of internecine wars.
- The ruins of the Ponte Rotto bridge, or rather the only surviving arched span. In the 16th century, part of the bridge was carried away during a flood; today only one arch remains.
- The island contains the ruins of the Temple of Aesculapius, a temple from the 3rd century BC.
How to get to the island
The island of Tiberina can be reached on foot via the Fabricio Bridge. To do this, take the metro to Circo Massimo station, walk along the embankment to the bridge and get to the island. From the island on the Tiber, through the right bridge you can go to the Trastevere area, which is famous for cafes and restaurants where you can have a delicious lunch.
The island in the middle of the Tiber doesn't actually have a name. Most often it is called “Tiberina”, that is, simply “Tiberian”. The gender is feminine, since the word “island” itself is like in Latin ( insula), and in Italian (isola), feminine. In ancient times they simply said “island” or “an island between two bridges” ( insula inter duos pontes), and later - “Aesculapian Island”.
Tiberina is a unique corner of Rome, located between the right and left banks of the Tiber River ( Tevere). A neat piece of land measuring 270 by 67 meters, resembling a boat in outline, is the only island along the entire length of the river (except for the one located in Ostia almost at the mouth of the Tiber Isola Sacra) !
According to legend, the island arose when the Romans drove the last king out of the city, in the 6th century BC. The grain harvest that belonged to the royal family could not be used for food and the Romans threw the wheat into the river. Since it was summer and the Tiber, as usual, became shallow, silt and sand accumulated around the piles of cereals. This is how Tiberina arose.
There is, however, another legend according to which the Romans drowned Tarquinius in the river (which contradicts the story about his further attempts to regain power). The king's body sank to the bottom, where river silt and mud formed an underwater grave around him. Over time, an island grew over this grave. And since the Romans hated the deposed king, the island remained uncultivated until the 3rd century BC.
There is a third (!) legend, but more about it below.
In reality, the island is certainly older and formed from volcanic rock. It is conveniently located on a not too deep section of the river at the intersection of a natural waterway with a trade road to the Sabine Hills. Perhaps this location of the island contributed to the emergence of the city in this very place.
Bridges
Tiberina is connected to both banks of the capital pedestrian bridges since antiquity. And each of these two bridges is a landmark in itself.
From the left bank (area of the Campus Martius) you can cross the island via the Fabricio Bridge ( Ponte Fabricio), built in 62 BC. Lucius Fabricius, superintendent of roads. This is stated in the dedicatory inscription repeated four times under the two spans of the bridge on each side. This is the oldest bridge in Rome. Since it once overlooked the Jewish Ghetto, it was also called the Bridge of the Jews. Its length is 62 meters, and the width of the arches reaches 24.5 meters. On the arch from the Champ de Mars side there is another inscription, smaller, but also repeated twice - that forty years after construction, the consuls checked the condition of the bridge and found it satisfactory (the check was carried out after a catastrophic flood). The bridge also has another name - the Bridge of Four Heads. These four double heads are located on the walls at the entrance to the bridge and “guard” the island of Tiberina. According to legend, in the 16th century, Pope Sixtus V ordered the execution of the architects who restored the bridge, since they could not find a common language and were constantly quarreling. There were four architects.
Fabricio Bridge From the right bank (Trastevere area) the Cestio bridge leads to the island ( Ponte Cestio). It was built by Lucius Cestius in 46 BC. In the 4th century, the bridge was radically rebuilt (travertine blocks from the Theater of Marcellus were used to repair it) and re-dedicated by the then Emperor Gratian. In 1892, during the construction of the embankments, it turned out that the length of the Gratian Bridge was not enough. I had to build a new one. But they tried to keep the central span in its original form. One third of it consists of building materials from the previous bridge. If you look to the left from the middle of the bridge, you can see a hole in the embankment. This is the exit of the famous Cloaca Maxim. Another name for the bridge is St. Bartholomew's Bridge.
Cestio Bridge Near the island there are the remains of the oldest bridge in Rome.Its predecessor was wooden, and construction of a stone bridge began in the 2nd century BC. It connected the Boar Forum with the Trastevere area. In 1598, the eastern part of the bridge collapsed during a flood. Its other half was dismantled in 1887 during the expansion of the Tiber channel. Today, only one arch in the middle remains of it, which gave modern name bridge - Ponte Rotto(Broken bridge).
Ponte Rotto Temple of Aesculapius
In 293 BC. A terrible plague epidemic broke out in Rome. In those days, the only way to cope with the plague was divine. To do this, they turned to the predictions of the Cumaean Sibyl, the scrolls with which were purchased by Tarquin the Proud (and Tarquin again!).
Aesculapius According to these predictions, to rid Rome of the plague, a temple should be built in honor of Asclepius or Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing and medicine. To do this, it was necessary to bring a snake (a symbol of immortality and an attribute of Aesculapius) and a statue of the deity from Epidaurus itself - the Greek city with the sacred altar to Aesculapius.
For this purpose, the Roman Senate equipped a ship for voyage. The expedition to Epidaurus was successful, and when the ship entered the city harbor, the “sacred snake Aesculapius” crawled off the ship and swam to the island, where it disappeared. This was taken as a sign, and the temple of Aesculapius was built there. His dedication took place in 291 BC. (by the way, the plague is gone). Over time, the sanctuary of Aesculapius acquired a high status among the residents of the capital, and Tiberina turned into a revered and sacred place. The shores of the island were covered with travertine to give it a greater resemblance to a ship. An obelisk was installed in the center of the stronghold, designed to symbolize the mast.
The nose is pretty worn out by time, but is still visible. Below him is the main patron of the island, Aesculapius, with his snake coiled around his staff, and above him is the police station.
This is where the third version of the origin of the Tiber Island arises. According to it, Tiberina is the ship itself on which the Romans returned from Epidaurus with a snake. The snake slid into the water here, and the ship immediately turned into an island.
Temple of Aesculapius on Tiberina. Reconstruction Historians are inclined to believe that the temple was built on the island due to its remoteness from the main place of residence of the Romans, which could help protect the population from plague and other dangerous diseases. The portico of the temple was used as a reception area.
After the sanctuary of Aesculapius, temples and altars were built on the island to other gods - Jupiter, Sanku, Gaia, Faun, Vecovis, Tiberinus and Belonna. These temples have not survived to this day, just like the temple of Aesculapius himself. And although no traces of the temple have yet been discovered, archaeologists are almost certain that it was located exactly on the spot where the Basilica of St. Bartolomeo now stands.
The island continued to receive the crippled and sick in the Middle Ages, and even now there is a hospital there called Fatebenefratelli (“brothers, do good”), which has been operating continuously since 1584.
Basilica of St. Bartolomeo
A few centuries later, in 998, on the site of the Temple of Aesculapius, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III built a basilica in honor of St. Adalbert of Prague (Czech bishop), whom he knew personally. Moreover, the emperor began construction a year (!) before the canonization of the saint.
A medieval marble bowl is built into the steps leading to the altar of the basilica. Perhaps it was used as a lid for the well left over from the temple of Aesculapius. Next to it stands a bronze vessel made by oriental craftsmen. In it, Emperor Otto III transported the relics of St. Bartholomew from Benevento. Almost nothing else has survived from the 10th century basilica - in 1557 it was almost completely washed away by another flood.
Basilica of St. Bartolomeo A modern version of the basilica, now called la Basilica San Bartolomeo all’Isola, which is believed to house the relics of St. Bartholomew the Apostle - one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, - was built in 1624 by Martino Longhi the Younger.
Inside you can see 4 sculptures. These are Jesus Christ, Saint Bartholomew, Saint Adalbert of Prague and Emperor Otto III. In 2002, by decree of Pope John Paul II, the basilica was dedicated to the new martyrs of the 20th century.
Hospital
In the 16th century, the island regained its fame as a place associated with medicine. Perhaps due to established tradition, but most likely for safety reasons, the plague infirmary was reopened here. All bridges and piers were strictly guarded and it was almost impossible to get off the island. In 1584, the infirmary was replaced by the Fatebenefratelli hospital ( Ospedale Fatebenefratelli), which is still in operation today. The hospital building occupies almost the entire western half of Tiberina and is subordinate to the Order of Hospitallers of John of God ( L'Ordine ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Dio). The presence of a hospital on the island seems to confirm that Tiberina belongs to the god Aesculapius and indicates the continuation of his work.
Hospital The ancient obelisk (the mast of the “ship”) was destroyed in the Middle Ages. In 1868, Pope Pius IX ordered its replacement with a new column. The architect Ignazio Iacometti created a monument decorated with statues of four saints: Bartholomew, Paulinus of Nolan, Francis of Assisi and John of God. Fragments of the ancient obelisk are kept in the Naples Museum.
Tower
If you walk to the island along the Fabricio Bridge, you can see on the left the towering square Pierleoni Tower ( Torre dei Pierleoni), built in the 10th century. It doesn't make much of an impression, but in the 11th century it was the papal residence.
Festival
In the summer, the island hosts the annual film festival “Isola del Cinema”, which dates back to 1995. From mid-June to September on a large screen installed under open air Romans and guests can get acquainted with the latest Italian, European and world cinema. In addition to the film screenings themselves, meetings with representatives of the film industry, poetry and literary evenings take place here.
The shores of the island are lined with travertine, an obelisk is installed instead of a mast (nowadays it is replaced by a column with figures of saints). You can get to the island via two of the oldest bridges in Rome: from the left bank of the Tiber - along the Fabricio Bridge (62 BC), and from the right - along the Cestio Bridge (46 BC).
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Emilia Bridge
Ponte Emilio, or Ponte Rotto, is the oldest stone bridge in Rome. Its predecessor was made of wood and was rebuilt in stone in the 2nd century BC. It once connected the Forum Boars with the Trastevere area. Today, only one arch in the middle remains of it, which gave the bridge its modern name - Ponte Rotto (Broken Bridge). The first pillars of the bridge were probably laid in the middle of the 3rd century BC, when the Aurelian Way was built. Stone piers and wooden superstructures were added in 179 BC. Almost 30 years later in 142 BC. the bridge was erected and spanned six stone arches. In 12 BC. Emperor Augustus completely renovated the bridge from tuff and concrete.
Image of Ponto Rotto in an engraving by Piranesi.
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Damaged and repaired several times, the bridge existed until 1598, when its eastern part collapsed during a flood. The other half was demolished by a flood in 1880, leaving only one central arch left of the bridge. Near the Emilia Bridge stands Ponte Palatino, also called the English Bridge.
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Church of St. Bartholomew
San Bartolomeo (Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island, Basilica di San Bartolomeo all’Isola) is a titular basilica on the island of Tiberina. In 998, Emperor Otto III, wanting to perpetuate the memory of St. Adalbert of Prague, founded a church on the site of the ancient temple of Aesculapius. Now it is the Basilica of San Bartolomeo, which is believed to contain the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew. On a column by Ignacio Giacometti in the square in front of the church there are 4 sculptures: the Savior, St. Francis, St. Bartholomew and Otto III.
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The church was restored several times, including in 1583 under the leadership of Martino Longhi Jr. after the flood. After restoration in 1624, the church acquired its current appearance. Restoration work in the Baroque style inside the church was carried out in 1720-1739, in 1852-1865. interior decoration redone in the style of historicism.
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Very beautiful nave ceiling
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Altar
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A source of “healing” water that was used to treat people. Unfortunately, due to severe water pollution, instead of being cured, people often died, so the well was closed with a net that still exists today.
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Side chapels
26. Chapel of St. Adalbert of Prague 
In the right chapel there is a particularly revered icon of the Mother of God of St. Bartolomeo.
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Organ
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The copper bowl was used by Emperor Otto III to transfer the remains of St. Bartholomew from Benevento to Rome.
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In 2002, Pope John Paul II dedicated San Bartolomeo to the new martyrs of the 20th century. The side chapels are named in honor of this event:
32. To the New Martyrs of Nazism (“Nuovi Martiri” Del Nazismo) 
33. To the New Martyrs of Communism (“Nuovi Martiri” Del Comunismo) 
34. New Martyrs of Northern and South America(Nuovi Martiri by Nelle Americhe) 
35. To the New Martyrs of Asia, Oceania and the Middle East (“Nuovi Martiri” In Asia, Oceania e Medio Oriente) 
36. To the New Martyrs of Africa and Madagascar (“Nuovi Martiri” In Africa and Madagascar) 
37. To the New Martyrs of Europe (“Nuovi Martiri” In Europa) 
The Church of San Giovanni Calibita was built in the 14th century. under the name of St. Ioanna from the island, otherwise - Sancti Ioannis Cantofume. Most likely, the church was created on the site of the ancient temple of Iuppiter Iurarius, better known as the temple of Aesculapius. For many centuries the church was attached to the neighboring Benedictine monastery. During the last reconstruction, the remains of St. John Kalibite (John Kushchnik) were allegedly found, which are located under the main altar. The church was reconstructed in 1640, the façade was redone in 1711, and the rich interior decoration was completed by Corrado Giaquinto by 1742. On the site of the monastery, since 1584, the hospital of the Order of St. Hospitalists has been functioning. John of God (Order of the Bonifraters), whose main task is to care for the sick.
From the very beginning, this hospital was famous for its dentists. The most famous was the Florentine monk Giovanni Battista Orsenico: he owes his fame to the fact that he was able to extract teeth by hand without forceps and mostly without pain. He practiced between 1868 and 1904 and collected all the teeth, which he stored in three large boxes. In 1903, the boxes were opened, and it turned out that he owned 2,000,744 teeth. This means that on average a monk removed 185 teeth per day!
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The church contains an icon of the Madonna della Lampada from the 13th century. This image is traditionally associated with a miracle: during the flood of 1557, the icon with the lamp was under water, but the fire in the lamp did not go out. A copy of the icon is installed outside on the wall of the bell tower.
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Cestio Bridge
The Cestio Bridge connects Tiberina with the city district of Trastevere. The structure was erected around 60-40 BC. In 1888-1892. In connection with the construction of the embankment, the bridge was rebuilt, its length increased from 48 to 76 meters, instead of two arches there were three.
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Fabricio Bridge
Historian Cassius Dio says that the bridge was built in 62 BC. curator of roads Lucius Fabricius to replace the old wooden bridge destroyed by fire. The Fabricio Bridge connects Tiberina with the left bank of the Tiber. The bridge is 62 meters long, the width of the arches is up to 24.5 meters. The bridge received its current name - Ponte dei Quattro Capi - from two ancient steles at the beginning of the bridge, depicting the four heads of Hercules or Janus. On the right behind the bridge in the photo is the Bonifratrov Hospital, on the left is the Caetani Tower and the Israeli Hospital. In 1884, the city administration, taking into account the proximity of the island of Tiberina to the old Jewish ghettos, decided to transfer the buildings of the old monastery near the church of St. Bartholomew to the Jewish community to organize a hospital there. Currently, the Israeli hospital carries out its activities to provide medical services to the population without regard to religion or ethnic background. Historical building on the island of Tiberina has become one of the multifunctional medical institutions in Rome, specializing in caring for the elderly.
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A short video tour of the Tiberina Islands
| Tiberina Island | 41.8906893N 12.477631E |
| Emilia Bridge | 41.8893475N 12.4793744E |
| Cestio Bridge | 41.8900623N 12.4773037E |
| Fabricio Bridge | 41.8910747N 12.4782452E |
| Church of St. Bartholomew | 41.8903738N 12.4781191E |
| Church of San Giovanni Calibita | 41.8908011N 12.4777651E |
| Caetani Tower | 41.8907891N 12.4780253E |
What is interesting about the Tiber Island in Rome? Where it is, how to get there and what to see. Tiberina Island on the map, photos and reviews.
The island of Tiberina stretches 270 meters long and 67 meters wide in the heart of the Tiber River. It is located away from the main ones. Therefore, for most tourists it often remains behind the scenes. And this is an omission, which, by the way, makes the Romans themselves very happy - after all, their favorite vacation spot remains relatively quiet and deserted. Our advice: when in Rome, try to cheat - turn off the main tourist routes towards Tiberina (and from there it’s just a stone’s throw from bohemian Trastevere). You will not regret!
Legends of the Tiber Island
The history of the “ship” that “found refuge” on the Tiber River, or rather the Tiber Island (or Tiberina), began, oddly enough, with death. Since the death of Emperor Lucius Tarquin the Proud, the capricious tyrant who ruled Rome in the 6th century BC.
Roman Tiberina, similar to a ship (photo)
According to legend, the Tiber Island arose from the corpse of Tarquin and the silt that adhered to his body when the inhabitants, exhausted by the cruelty of the tyrant, rebelled against the emperor and threw him into the river. But there is another version that explains the emergence of the Tiber Island, which is also associated with the tyrant Tarquin. So, according to the Roman chronicler Livy (Livius), the island was formed from grain that belonged to the emperor. The Romans poured grain into the river when they drove the tyrant out of the city.
When in Rome, turn off the main tourist routes towards the Tiber Island. You will not regret!
Is this fiction or real? historical fact- we won’t undertake to say. It is possible that due to the memory of the difficult period of Tarquin’s reign for the Romans, Roman Tiberina for several centuries, until 293 BC. e., remained uninhabited and enjoyed disrepute. And in 293 BC. plague struck.
In the midst of a raging disease, the Romans turned to the Books of the Sibyls (ancient soothsayers) for help. They replied that the plague would “leave” the city as soon as the ancient Roman god of healing Aesculapius himself visited it (in ancient Greek mythology - Asclepius). The Romans immediately went to the Epidaurus sanctuary of Aesculapius for the main symbol of the god of healing - the sacred snake.
When the ship with the Romans and the snake returned to the city, it - again according to one of the Roman legends - landed precisely on the shores of the abandoned Tiber Island. The snake immediately crawled ashore, letting him know that he was choosing it as his habitat. The plague subsided, and in memory of the cure from the terrible disease, the Romans gave the Tiber Island the shape of a ship. The banks were lined with travertine, and instead of the mast, an obelisk was installed, which today is replaced by a column with figures of saints.
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Church of St. Bartolomeo
There is another version of the origin of the Tiber Island. As if Tiberina is the very ship on which the Romans with the snake returned from Epidaurus. The snake slid into the water here, and the ship immediately turned into an island. And two years later - in 291 BC. e. - on the Tiber Island there was a solemn consecration of the Temple of Aesculapius, built here in memory of deliverance from the plague. A few centuries later, on the site of the Temple of Aesculapius, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III built a church in honor of St. Adalbert of Prague (Czech Bishop), which was restored several times throughout its existence.
Now this is the Church of St. Bartolomeo (San Bartolomeo), which houses the relics of St. Bartholomew - one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ.
The church acquired its current appearance after the restoration in 1624. In the church you can see 4 sculptures: Jesus Christ, St. Bartholomew, St. Adalbert of Prague and Emperor Otto III. In 2002, the Church of St. Bartolomeo, by decree of Pope John Paul II, was dedicated to the new martyrs of the 20th century.
Tiberina Hospital
Part of Tiberina is occupied by the buildings of the Hospital of St. John of God (San Giovanni di Dio), built in the 16th-17th centuries, where patients were treated for the plague at that time.
At that time, it was not so easy to get off the island in the heart of Rome - the guards were not asleep. But there were also brave souls who succeeded. They hid in boats in which corpses were taken from the Tiber Island, and thus ended up on " mainland" Nowadays, the presence of a hospital on the Tiber Island seems to confirm that Tiberina belongs to the god Aesculapius and indicates the continuation of his work.
Bridges of the Tiber Island
Tiber Island - a favorite holiday destination of the Romans
Get to the Tiber Island - this Roman “ship” with rich history- you can cross two bridges that span the Tiber. Moreover, these bridges are quite ancient - each of them is an attraction in itself and deserves attention :
- One of them is Fabricio, built in 62 BC. Lucius Fabricius, considered the oldest bridge in Rome. It connects the Tiber Island with the Jewish Ghetto. For this reason, the bridge was once called the Bridge of the Jews. The length of this ancient building is 62 meters, and the width of the arches reaches 24.5 meters. The bridge has another name - the Bridge of Four Heads, which it received because of the four double stone heads. They are located on the walls at the entrance to the bridge and “guard” the island of Tiberina. According to legend, in the 16th century, Pope Sixtus V ordered the execution of the architects who restored this bridge, because they could not find a common language and were quarreling all the time. Since there were four architects, four heads were required. Since then, architects are doomed to eternal proximity to each other.
- Second Bridge - Cestio- a little “younger” than Fabricio. It was built by Lucius Cestius in 46 BC. e. and connects Tiberina with the Roman region of Trastevere. At the end of the 9th century, the bridge was destroyed, but then it was rebuilt. The second name of the bridge is St. Bartholomew's Bridge.
- There is one more - the third bridge. Only now it can hardly be called a bridge, because only one span of it has survived to this day. This bridge, which collapsed at the end of the 16th century during a flood, is called Broken (Rotto).
Today, the Tiber Island, which was actually formed on the basis of a volcanic rock, which in shape simply resembled a ship, no longer terrifies the Romans, as in ancient times. On the contrary - today this Roman “ship”, sailing towards health, is favorite place folk festivals.
How to get to Tiberina
A ship that has plied the waters of the Tiber for centuries
Tiberina Island is located near the Jewish Quarter and the Trastevere district. To get to the Tiber Island on foot from the very center of Rome, you you will need to go to, go around the Capitoline Hill on the right side and follow Via del Teatro Matcello. From there you will need to “take” to the right towards the Marcello Theater. And soon you will see the Fabricio Bridge.
If you go down Via del Teatro Matcello a little lower, reaching the synagogue, then the first bridge over the Tiber that you will encounter will be the Palatine - from it to the island it is just a stone's throw away. This is a transport bridge from which you can take excellent photos of Tiberina.
If you are not a fan of long hiking, then using the metro in this case will be problematic. The closest metro station to the Tiber Island is Colosseo (i.e. “Colosseum”). It is far from the Tiber Island.