Trastevere
Literally “beyond the Tiber,” this neighborhood was not part of the city of Rome during the time of Augusus. It later became inhabited by immigrants and fishermen, and the first Jewish community. Over time, it has attracted artists and those wanting to escape from the crowds, although even in the last twenty years it has become far more touristy. But we still love it!
🚌 Getting here
Our tour will begin on the northeast edge of the neighborhood, smack dab in the middle of Isola Tiberina, or Tiber Island. The 280 and 23 buses run up and down the Tiber River (the 23 is one way to get from St. Peter’s to St. Paul’s Outside the Walls!). The 63 bus also terminates across the street northeast of the island. The 8 Tram runs out of Pizza Torre di Argentina (center city) straight through Trastevere and would be an easy way to various points of this tour.
The Tiber Island might be the smallest inhabited island in the world. There are many legends of how it came to be, including that was the result of throwing a ruling tyrant into the river in 510 BC. An ancient temple to Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing was here, and the island is still connected with healing, now home to a hospital and staffed by the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God. During World War II, the head of the hospital invented a fictitious highly-contagious disease to keep the Nazis away from the hospital so it could be a hiding place for Jews.
If you walked to the island from the north bank, you crossed a bridge built in 62 BC and still in use today!
The jewel on this island is found in the church built over the ruins of the temple. If you can read Latin, you’ll see written across the front what is inside.
