Description
The island still keeps the characteristic shape of the ship of Esculapio: under the hanging stairs flight of the Fluvial Police station it can be seen the rests of the monumental ship shape arrangement of the tip of the island, contemporary of the Fabricio bridge: on the travertine blocks that cover the inner nucleus in peperino (visible under one arch on the right) it can be seen the carved bust of Esculapio, the snake rolled up around the stick, God symbol, and one taurine protome.
Arriving to the island from the Fabricio bridge it can be seen on the right the St. Giovanni Calibita church with its small baroque bell tower and on the left the medieval Caetani tower, powerful roman family who transformed the island in their own fort; then the St. Bartolomeo square at the center of which is located the Spire of Ignazio Giacometti (1869) with a cusp and four statues of saints (St. Bartolomeo towards the church, then clockwise St. Francesco, St. Giovanni di Dio and St. Paolino bishop) erected by pope Pio IX as indicated in the inscription:
"PIUS IX PONT.MAX IN COLUMNAE LOCUM QUAE PLAUSTRI IMPETU QUASSATA CONCIDERAT PECUNIA SUA FIERI ERIGIQUE IUSSIT - ANNO CHRISTIANO MDCCCLXIX CONCILIO VATICANO INEUNTE [Pio IX Pontifex Maximus, in the place of the column that fallen pulled down by a cart impact, ordered (this spire) to be built and erected at his charge. Christian year 1869, beginning of Vatican Council].
The church of St. Bartolomeo "de insula" and its beautiful Romanesque bell tower are the background of the square: the church was erected in X century in the place of the Temple of Esculapio, medicine god: no remains of this temple are now visible (however the medieval sink that is at the center of the presbytery steps probably corresponds to the sacred source that should be in the area of the temple; from the same temple it might also come the fourteen ancient columns that divide the church naves); on the fronton of the church it is engraved the dedication to the saint:  "IN HAC BASILICA REQUIESCIT CORPUS S.BARTHOLOMAEI APOSTOLI" [In this basilica rests the body of apostle St. Bartolomeo].
In the northern part of the island is still present the St. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, also called Fatebenefratelli [brothers, engage in good works] from the sentence said by the begging friars, whose origins date back to 1548..