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Rome - Along the tiber
Our walk starts from the Isola Tiberina, which
was of exceptional importance in the history of the
birth and development of Rome. In fact, starting in
extremely ancient times, the island's presence
facilitated the crossing of the river, leading to the
building of the first permanent settlements on the
surrounding high ground.
According to ancient tradition, the island was
allegedly formed in the late 6th century A.D. after
the Etruscan kings were driven from Rome,
when the
people threw into the river, out of contempt for the
monarchy, the wheat harvested on the royal properties
of Campus Martius.
Another legend tells of a large
boat grounded in the middle of the river during a
flood, and later filled up with sand transported by
the current.
In reality the island is situated on an ancient
volcanic rock core similar to that on which the
nearby Capitol stands, but the shape actually
does
seem to resemble a ship. This did not escape the
attention of the Romans who, in the 1st century B.C.,
accentuated the shape,
modelling the island's sides
with travertine and raising an obelisk in the centre,
like a majestic mast. This stone ship was meant to
commemorate the healthful ship of Aesculapius,
the god of medicine, and his miraculous
intervention.
Legend has it that in the 3rd century B.C., during a
plague, the Romans went by ship to Epidaurus, in
Greece, to learn from the god
Aesculapius how to
escape the scourge. But when the returning ship was
ascending the river, the god's sacred serpent slipped
out of it,
at the point where the island was,
indicating that that island was to be consecrated to
him.
The construction of a building sacred to the god
Aesculapius, where the present-day church of San
Bartolomeo now stands, determined the
definitive
destination of the island to a place of medical
treatment, also facilitated by its position
segregated from the residential centre.
Today,
still, the Fatebenefratelli Hospital is the
building which occupies the island almost entirely,
characterising it deeply. A historic trattoria
of
the isola Tiberina is Sora Lella, at Via di
Ponte dei Quattro Capi 16, which belonged to the
sister of Roman actor Aldo Fabrizi.
Discovering Rome: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
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