Rivers in Italy are incredibly beautiful and picturesque, along their banks there are colorful towns, each of which has its own characteristics, unique culture, history and traditions. The Tiber River is one of the most important waterways of the Italian capital - Rome.
Geography of the Tiber
In ancient times, people always tried to settle near water sources. The river on the Roman hills was no exception either. It was a fairly convenient and reasonable place to create settlements. The Tiber River, about 405 kilometers long, takes its sources in the Apennines. Her path lies along numerous gorges. The lower channel runs along the Maremma plain. As you descend smoothly, a powerful mountain stream turns into a full-flowing river, into which many tributaries and small streams flow.
The main part flows through the ancient Roman canal through the territory of Umbria and Lazio, and then carries its water element directly into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vast delta is approximately 250 square kilometers. The Tiber River feeds mainly on rainfall, floods are frequent, sometimes it comes to seriousfloods. The Tiber is the river on which Rome, the capital of Italy, was founded.
Bridges
The river is crossed not only by modern buildings, but also by a number of ancient bridges, among them the Sant'Angelo Bridge and the Milvian Bridge are partially preserved, and the Fabricius Bridge is located entirely in its place. Among the new ones are bridges named after Queen Margherita, Pietro Nenni and Umberto I.
Why is the Tiber River called that?
The name may be of ancient Etruscan or Italic origin. According to legend, the river was named after the legendary ruler of Tiberinus Silvius, who drowned in the river called Albula, which was then named in memory of the great king.
According to the myths, he became a patron river spirit thanks to Jupiter, who endowed the ruler with divine power. Therefore, traditionally, the river began to be depicted as a muscular male god in a reclining position, from whose hair and beard streams of water flow, and in his hands is a cornucopia. The scientific version of the name is not so romantic. According to him, the root of the word "tiber" is translated from the Celtic as "water".
A little digression from history
After the river became clogged and shallow in the 1st century BC, movement along it was difficult, which also negatively affected the development of trade relations. Numerous attempts to improve the river navigation system followed in the 7th and 8th centuries AD. Popes directly influenced this.from the Vatican.
Already in the 19th century, they seriously approached the solution of the problem of cleaning the clogged bottom, and trade routes were resumed. However, with the decrease in the commercial importance of the river compared to ancient times in the twentieth century, cleanliness began to be thought less and less.
The Tiber is famous for its floods, as it often overflows its banks. Particularly affected by this was the flat lowland of the Field of Mars, where the Tiber River regularly overflowed its banks. In 1876, it was decided to build embankments raised at a decent distance from the water, which could not be flooded by the mighty Tiber.
River Park
The Tiber River Park, 50 km long, is located in an attractive tourist region of the country - Umbria, the so-called green heart of Italy. This amazing place is visited not only by tourists and travelers, scientists and researchers have repeatedly come here to explore the secrets of the forgotten past during archaeological excavations and study the geological features of this area.
There are beautiful places in the river park, including an incredibly charming trout canyon, over which hawks and vultures circle, hills in Prodo and Titignano, and an artificial reservoir in Corbara. In addition to trout, thanks to the construction of the dam, carps and eels are being farmed here.
On the coastal territory of the park to this day, traces of the life of the ancient peoples - the Etruscans and Romans are found. Most of the archaeological sites are located in this attractive tourist region. Andnow it is not just the Tiber River (photo below), which is used for trade, it is an integral part of the cultural heritage of the resort areas of Umbria.
Great view from the river to the Tiber Island
One legend says that initially there was no island on this place, but it was formed from an overturned ship. To save the city from pestilence in 293, the townspeople went to Greece, to the ancient city of Epidaurus, to send their prayers to the god of he alth Esculapius. Upon returning home, a large snake crawled out of the ship and disappeared into the mighty waters. The boat capsized and became an island.
The Tiber Island is located in the middle of the river, in the heart of Rome, and for a long time served as a place to wade, and later a bridge was built on this place. Previously, it was a natural border between the possessions of the Etruscans, Sabines and Roman lands. In ancient Rome, it was a profitable shipping route, and during military conflicts of the 3rd century BC. e. the strategically important military facilities of the Romans were based here.
River sightseeing of Rome
There are paths for pedestrians on the sides of the river. On the right, you can see the building of the Theater of Marcellus, reminiscent of the Greek Colosseum. The embankment offers a wonderful view of St. Paul's Cathedral, or rather its dome. In the distance you can see the Palace of Justice with an elegant addition in the form of the Ponte Umberto bridge.
The most famous Roman sights are also concentrated on the waterfront, including the Mausoleum of Hadrian (also called Castel Sant'Angelo). They say,that the ashes of the Roman rulers rested here. Not far away is the building of the Palace of Justice, which is interesting from an architectural point of view. And going a little further, you can see an unusual neo-Gothic church.
Walks along the Tiber embankment
A lot of berths were built near the Tiber, where ships with goods collected from numerous Roman colonies in the Mediterranean reached. Later it was included in the sewerage system of the city. It became possible to direct the course of the river to the city center. The Tiber, therefore, also has economic significance.
Walking along the Tiber embankment, you can even get to the Olimpiyskiy stadium. But this place will attract more football fans who want to watch the matches of local teams. Thirsty for spectacles, tourists are better off visiting other interesting places. For example, the same embankment, only at night. Some special charm appears, in the light of numerous lanterns and spotlights, it takes on a completely different look, becomes even more mysterious and attractive.
Now the Tiber River in Italy is a worthy attraction of the Italian capital and is actively used for tourism purposes. She is adored by local fishermen, as well as rowing athletes. At the place where the Tiber River is located, time seems to have stopped. Especially if you observe the following picture: early in the morning, when there is practically no wind, the sky is covered with a transparent haze of clouds, and ancient bridges and palaces are located around. Very similar to the beginning of an old Roman fairy tale. One of the most vivid memories of Rome,which tourists and guests of the city take with them is precisely the picturesque embankment of the river.
