Isola Tiberina

Rome's picturesque little island, l'Isola Tiberina (pictured above during winter flooding), bears some obvious similarities to the twin islands located in the Seine in Paris, the Ile de la Cite' and Ile Saint-Louis. It may not at first appear to have all the pomp and substance of its French counterparts. They are, after all, actual neighbourhhoods and are home to many grand monuments, the most well known being the cathedral of Notre Dame. I've read too somewhere that Paris's most romantic street, in a city positively brimming with romance, is on one of the Seine's islands. But as you walk across the Ponte Fabricio, Rome's oldest bridge, and approach the Isola Tiberina, you will feel positively charmed. Anyway, in my opinion, Rome too is extraordinarily romantic, and its island is a VERY romantic place. It's just that Romans don't boast about it.


Personally, I've always felt a particular attraction to this quaint little island and can't help but wonder how the thousands of people who are born on it must feel. This is another of Rome's idiosyncrasies. A significant percentage of the city's inhabitants are born here, surrounded by the swirling waters of the Tiber, in the maternity ward of the Ospedale Fatebenefratelli (Do Good Brothers ... seriously), which stands above the grounds of a Greek temple.


Numerous evocative legends regarding the island's history have circulated since ancient times. This is the one I like best.


A ship carrying a Greek statue of the god of healing, Aesculapius, was nearby when a serpent hiding on the vessel was seen slithering overboard and heading towards the reeds which then made up the island, little more than a bank in the river. Of course, in those times everyone was always on the alert for omens and this one was considered particularly auspicious, snakes being symbols of rejuvenation because of their periodic shedding of skin. This was around 300bc and the Romans were in dire need of a good omen and new cult after a long period of unrelenting pestilence. So, hot on the heels of the omen, a temple to the god was erected and the entire island was encased in travertine in the form of a ship. Bizarrly, even an Egyptian obelisk was installed strategically to represent the mast. This was removed long ago and relocated to another part of the city. All that remains of this impressive construction is part of the travertine stern with the familiar carving of the Aesculapius serpent wound around a sword. Nowadays the sword and serpent are on the insignia of the American Medical Association and have been adopted as a distinguishing symbol in many other medical fields.


Interestingly, Rome has another island dedicated to Aesculapius. This one is located in the "laghetto" in the Villa Borghese gardens where a small, graceful temple was erected in the late 18th century and can still be admired today.


The Isola Tiberina is a perfect location for a long, uninterrupted kiss, as you can't help but notice if you hang around more than 10 minutes keeping an eye on all the couples. And the miniature island in the Borghese Gardens with its little temple is without a doubt a very tempting place as well. So no need to go to Paris.

The Isola Tiberina's romantic charm fades a little in summer when the film festival, l'Isola Del Cinema, envelops the island with its two screening areas and refreshment stands, a pleasantly cool place on hot evenings. Foreign movies are generally dubbed in Italian so unless you want to confirm that your knowledge of the language is pretty dismal, it would be wiser to simply enjoy the many bars and eateries that line the banks.

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