Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island
Emperor Otto III founded the church here in 998, building over the ruins of the Temple of Aesculapius on the Tiber Island. In Roman times, that island had been given a reputation for healing—once it was associated with Aesculapius—before the Christian community carried the idea forward under a new name. The basilica became a major pilgrimage site because it contains the putative relics of St. Bartholomew the Apostle, housed under the main altar in an ancient Roman porphyry sarcophagus with lions’ heads. It also preserves a “marble ship” theme from the older island landscaping—the prow can still be seen—tying this spot to the island’s earlier legend of being a vessel. The church was renovated by Pope Paschal II in 1113 and again in 1180, then suffered damage in a flood in 1557 before being reconstructed with its Baroque façade in 1624, designed by Orazio Torriani and commissioned by Cardinal Trescio. …
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