San Bartolomeo all'Isola - Roma, Italy
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N 41° 53.427 E 012° 28.682
33T E 290771 N 4640688
San Bartolomeo all'Isola is a late 10th century titular church and minor basilica located on Tiber Island in Rome, Italy.
Waymark Code: WM113G4
Location: Lazio, Italy
Date Posted: 08/09/2019
Views: 2
The Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island was founded in 998 by Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor and contains relics of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. It is located on the site of the ancient temple of Aesculapius, which had cleared the island of its former ill-repute among the Romans and established its reputation as a hospital, maintained today under Christian auspices.
The church was heavily restored in a major project ordered by Pope Urban VIII in 1624. The architect was Martino Longhi the Younger, with at least some help from Orazio Torriani who we now know designed the façade in 1639. This façade was an add-on, lengthening the church, the original medieval façade is still intact behind it. The decoration provided in the restoration was in the Baroque style, giving the church its present appearance.
Pope Pius IX ordered another restoration in 1852, which also mostly involved the sanctuary. A new main altar was provided, and frescoes painted.
The inscriptions found in S. Bartolomeo, a valuable source illustrating the history of the Basilica, have been collected and published by Vincenzo Forcella.
In 2000, San Bartolomeo was dedicated by Pope John Paul II to the memory of the new martyrs of the 20th and 21st century. A large icon of these "Modern Martyrs" was inaugurated as the main altarpiece, and the six nave chapels were each given the theme of a geographical area of persecution. The church is now a centre of research into modern persecutions of Christianity, and this work is being undertaken and supervised by the Community of Sant'Egidio.
Opening hours:
Weekdays 9:30 to 13:30, 15:30 to 17:30
Sundays 9:30 to 13:00.
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