Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To reach the Isola from the Jewish Ghetto, cross Rome's oldest standing bridge, the 62
BC
Ponte Fabricio
. Visible to the south are the remains of the
Ponte Rotto
(Broken Bridge),
Ancient Rome's first stone bridge, which was all but swept away in a 1598 flood.
CHIESA DI SAN BARTOLOMEO
( 9am-1pm & 3.30-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun; Lungotevere dei Pierleoni)
Built on the ruins of
the Roman temple to Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing, the island's 10th-century
church is an interesting hybrid of architectural styles: the facade is baroque, as is the
richly frescoed ceiling; the belltower is 12th-century Romanesque and the 28 columns that
divide the interior naves date to ancient times.
Inside, there's a marble wellhead, which is thought to stand over the spring that
provided the temple's healing waters.
CHURCH
