Isola Tiberina (the Tiber Island, the 270m × 67m island in the Tiber between the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere, connected to both banks by bridges and visible from the Lungotevere embankments): the most historically concentrated single site in Rome per square metre, the island whose specific 2,300-year continuous history (the Temple of Aesculapius established in 291 BC, the Fatebenefratelli hospital on the same site from the 16th century to the present day, the bridges built in the Roman period and still in daily pedestrian use) compresses 23 centuries of continuous function into a space smaller than many Roman piazzas.
The Temple of Aesculapius: in 291 BC, Rome was in the grip of a plague. The Roman Senate sent a delegation to Epidaurus (the Greek sanctuary of the god of medicine Aesculapius) to bring the god's sacred snake back to Rome. The delegation returned with a snake. Approaching Rome on the Tiber, the snake jumped from the boat onto the island, which the Romans interpreted as the god's choice of his sanctuary location. The temple was built immediately. The island has functioned as a medical site ever since, the specific 2,315-year continuity of medical use on the same piece of ground is unique in the world.
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Isola Tiberina: Bridges, Hospital, and Summer Festival
Ponte Fabricio
Ponte Fabricio (the bridge connecting the Isola Tiberina to the Jewish Ghetto bank, built in 62 BC by the road commissioner Lucius Fabricius, whose inscription (L·FABRICIVS·C·F·CVR·VIAR·FECIT) is still readable on the parapet): the oldest bridge in Rome still in daily use (2,088 years old in 2026) and the most complete surviving example of a Roman stone bridge in situ, the two arches, the travertine facing, and the specific downstream nose (the triangular cutwater) that the Roman engineers designed to deflect the Tiber flood current are all original. Cross the Ponte Fabricio on foot: the specific experience of walking on the same stones that Roman citizens, medieval pilgrims, Renaissance cardinals, and Baroque painters have walked for 2,000 years is available to anyone at any hour, free of charge.
Isola Tiberina: tours & tickets
Compare guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips for Isola Tiberina.
See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The Island's Ship Shape
The Isola Tiberina ship: in antiquity, the island was given a travertine cladding shaped like a ship, the prow with the serpent symbol of Aesculapius visible at the downstream end, the stern at the upstream end, and the obelisk as the mast. Fragments of the travertine ship cladding are still visible on the downstream end of the island: the most specific ancient Roman architectural conceit in Rome, the island shaped to look like the ship that brought the god of medicine to Rome.
Estate al Tevere Film Festival
Estate al Tevere (the summer outdoor film festival on the Isola Tiberina, the annual June-August program of outdoor cinema screenings, concerts, and food events organized on the island's concrete beach area below the embankment): the specific summer Isola Tiberina experience (the deck chairs on the concrete riverside terrace, the film projected on the screen with the Trastevere bank visible behind, and the Tiber flowing 2m below) is the most specifically Roman summer evening experience available for approximately €6 per film screening.
Q&A: Isola Tiberina
Can I visit the Fatebenefratelli hospital on the Isola Tiberina?
The Fatebenefratelli hospital (the Ospedale Fatebenefratelli, the hospital of the Brothers of Saint John of God, the religious order that has operated the island hospital since 1584) is an active medical facility and isn't open for tourist visits. The specific Isola Tiberina visit: the island exterior (the Ponte Fabricio, the island circuit walk of 10 minutes, the downstream travertine ship fragments, and the summer terrace) is entirely freely accessible. The church of San Bartolomeo all'Isola (the 10th-century church on the island, built on the site of the Temple of Aesculapius, open for visits during non-service hours) is the specific interior visit that the island offers.
