Why visit / Interesting facts:
- Boat shaped island
- Picturesque bridges
Time required: 30 minutes
Public transport:
- Bus H from Termini to Piazza Monte Savello
Address: Tiber Island, 00186 Rome
Photos: (see more photos)
Photo: féileacán
Things you need to know:
- Tiber Island is a boat shaped island in the southern bend of the Tiber (270 m long and 67 m wide)
- Legend has it, angry Romans threw the body of their despised tyrant Tarquinius Superbus (510 BC) in the river. The body supposedly settled on the bottom and created the island by collecting dirt and silt
- Another story claims that people dumped their hated ruler's wheat and grain into the water which became the foundation of the island
- Due to these negative stories, the island was avoided for a very long time. The worst criminals and the contagiously ill were condemned there
- After a Christian temple was erected here, these negative stories lost their power and the island became the city's sanctuary of medicine
- Large part of the island is taken up by Fatebenefratelli Hospital
- Two bridges connect the island to the rest of Rome since antiquity: the Ponte Fabricio from the east, the only original bridge in Rome, and the partially survived Ponte Cestio from the west
What to do there:
- Take a walk on this small island
- Enjoy the great view of the ancient bridges
