Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TIBER ISLAND & BOCCA DELLA VERITÀ
Between the two similarly decaying districts of the Ghetto and Trastevere lies
Tiber Island, which was said to be built on the site of a sunken ship in the 3rd
century
B
.
C
. It was originally adorned with travertine marble in the shape of a
giant ship, with an obelisk at the center for the mast. You can still see the rem-
nants of the travertine siding on the east side of the island, below the police sta-
tion, by walking down the narrow steps just below the Fate Bene Fratelli Hospital
that occupies the entire northern end. The wide promenade on the bottom fills
with Sunday strollers and springtime sunbathers, and is the location of Rome's
annual open-air cinema for much of the summer. Up above the churches of St.
Bartholomew on the southern side is a popular spot for weddings. Across the nar-
row street on the hospital side, the decadent marble-encrusted church and con-
vent of San Giovanni Calibita Fate Bene Fratelli are dedicated to the hospital, but
often host city-sponsored exhibits.
On the southern side of the island, you can stand below the remains of the
Ponte Rotto (Broken Bridge),
Rome's first stone bridge, built in 142
B
.
C
. It con-
nected the main city with the area across the Tiber, giving birth to
Tras tevere
which means “across the Tiber.”
It's a short walk from the east side to one of the city's most-photographed sites.
Inside the 6th-century church of
Santa Maria in Cosmedian
(Via della Bocca
della Verità, 18;
%
06-6781419; free admission; daily 9am-5pm winter, until 6pm
in summer)
is the
Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth).
The legend states that
anyone who tells a lie while his hand is in the mouth will have it bitten off, and
locals like to say that it was Roman wives suspicious of cheating husbands who
started requiring the test. The giant mask is actually thought to be an ancient
drain cover.
TRASTEVERE
You need to spend but 5 minutes in Trastevere to appreciate its seductive allure.
It has the most distinctive personality of all Rome's neighborhoods. It is at times
unspoiled and unassuming, yet at other moments, it is darkly mysterious and
wildly intriguing. The decaying facades of the tightly packed buildings give it an
old-world feel. Sometimes Trastevere does not feel like Rome at all; at other times
it is the only Rome there is.
It is a mistake to explore this area with a fixed agenda. This is the place where
you should wander, as aimlessly as possible, like a mouse through the dizzying
maze of alleyways. You should turn corners, walk into churches, sit on
piazze,
and
simply gaze up at the rooftop gardens and down at the cobblestone streets. The
time of day you visit Trastevere will dictate what you should do. Early mornings
are glorious here, as the shutters are flung open and the Trasteverini start the day.
You'll hear a chorus of
“oui”
and
“eh,”
as the locals greet each other from their win-
dows and down in the streets. Old timers here tend to stick to their particular cor-
ner, and there are some locals who haven't been “to the other side” of the river for
years. In the middle of the day, after the stores and churches close for the sacred
siesta, stop and listen to the echo of footsteps and the whispers down the narrow
cobblestone streets. Trastevere is like an a ghost town around 2pm, an ideal time
to listen to the sounds that pour out of the open windows. It is truly a voyeur's
paradise.
