Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island
A church holding relics of St. Bartholomew.
St. Bartholomew → Plan a trip hereThe Story
The Basilica of San Bartolomeo all'Isola stands on Tiber Island in the heart of Rome, on the site of the ancient temple of Aesculapius. It was founded in 998 by the emperor Otto III and today shelters relics venerated as those of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. Bartholomew, named among the Twelve in the Gospels and traditionally identified with Nathanael, is held by ancient tradition to have preached the Gospel as far as Armenia, where he was martyred. His relics made a long journey through the centuries — from Lipari to Benevento in 838, and from Benevento to Rome in the 10th century — before coming to rest in the porphyry basin beneath the basilica's high altar. The island's ancient association with healing carried into Christian times: a hospital has stood beside the church for centuries, and St. Bartholomew's name became linked with the care of the sick across Europe. In 2000, Pope St. John Paul II dedicated the basilica to the memory of the new martyrs of the 20th and 21st centuries. Entrusted to the care of the Community of Sant'Egidio, its side chapels now hold memorials and relics of modern witnesses to the faith from every continent — among them a relic of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko — joining the apostle's ancient witness to that of our own time.
Church Recognition
San Bartolomeo all'Isola is a titular minor basilica; Pope St. John Paul II dedicated it in 2000 as the shrine of the new martyrs of the 20th and 21st centuries, a memorial entrusted to the Community of Sant'Egidio.
Catholic Teaching
The basilica unites the Church's veneration of the apostles, the foundation stones of the Church (CCC 857-860), with her teaching on martyrdom as the supreme witness to Christ (CCC 2473), shown in an unbroken line from St. Bartholomew to the martyrs of our own age.
Plan Your Visit
Practical
Additional Information
Pilgrims venerate the relics of St. Bartholomew beneath the high altar and visit the chapels memorializing modern martyrs from around the world. Tiber Island is an easy walk from Trastevere and the Jewish Quarter, and the apostle's feast is celebrated on August 24.
Go Deeper
The basilica's official website is https://www.sanbartolomeo.org. See also the Catechism on the apostles and martyrdom (CCC 857-860; 2473) and the Community of Sant'Egidio's accounts of the new martyrs commemorated in the basilica.
Location
Visit the official website ↗ See it on the interactive map →Pilgrim Photos
No pilgrim photos yet — be the first to share one from Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island.
In the Area
Other sacred sites within 40 miles.
- Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere <1 mi
- Church of the Gesu (Tomb of St. Ignatius of Loyola) <1 mi
- Basilica of Sts. Cosmas and Damian <1 mi
- Tomb of St. Catherine of Siena (Santa Maria sopra Minerva) <1 mi
- Church of Santa Francesca Romana <1 mi
- San Lorenzo in Damaso <1 mi
- Church of St. Ignatius (Tomb of St. Robert Bellarmine) <1 mi
- Church of Santa Maria Maddalena (Tomb of St. Camillus of Lellis) <1 mi