The 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. A river in the Roman hills was no exception. It was a fairly convenient and reasonable place to create settlements. The river Tiber, about 405 kilometers long, takes its sources in the Apennines. Its path lies along numerous gorges. The lower course runs along the Maremma plain. With a smooth descent, a powerful mountain stream transforms 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 severe floods. The Tiber is the river on which the capital of Italy, Rome, was founded.
Bridges
The river is crossed not only by modern buildings, but also by a number of ancient bridges, among them the St. Angel's Bridge and the Mulviev Bridge are partially preserved, and the Fabricius Bridge is located entirely in its place. Among the new ones are bridges named after Queen Margarita, Pietro Nenny and Umberto I.
Why is the Tiber River so called?
The name may be of Old Etruscan or Italian origin. According to legend, the river was named in honor of the legendary ruler Tiberin Sylvia, who drowned in the river with the name Albula, which was then named in memory of the great king.
According to 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 in the image of a muscular male god in a reclining position, streams of water flowing from his hair and beard, 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 Celtic as "water".
A short digression from history
After the river became clogged and shredded in the 1st century BC, movement along it was difficult, which also negatively affected the development of trade relations. In the 7-8th centuries of our era, numerous attempts were made to improve the river navigation system. The Pope from the Vatican directly influenced this.
Already in the 19th century, they took a serious approach to solving the problem of cleaning the clogged bottom, and trade routes were resumed. However, with a decrease in the commercial significance of the river compared to ancient times in the twentieth century, purity became less and less common.
The Tiber is famous for its floods, as it often leaves the coast. The flat lowlands of the Field of Mars, where the Tiber River regularly overflowed, suffered especially from this. In 1876, it was decided to build embankments elevated to a decent distance from the water, which could not be flooded by the mighty Tiber.
River park
The 50 km long Tiber River Park is located in Umbria, the so-called green heart of Italy, attractive for tourists. This amazing place is visited not only by tourists and travelers, scientists and researchers have repeatedly come here to find out the secrets of a forgotten past during archaeological excavations and to study the geological features of this area.
There are beautiful places in the river park, among which there is an incredibly charming trout canyon, over which hawks and vultures are circling, hills in Prodo and Titignano, and also an artificial reservoir in Corbar. In addition to trout, thanks to the construction of the dam, they also breed carps and eels.
To this day, traces of the vital activity of ancient peoples - the Etruscans and Romans - are found on the coastal territory of the park. Most archaeological sites are located in this attractive tourist region. And now this 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 on the Tiber island
One legend says that initially there was no island on this place, but it was formed from an inverted 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 health Aesculapius. Upon returning home, a large snake crawled out of the vessel and disappeared into the mighty waters. The boat rolled over and became an islet.
The Tiber island is located in the middle of the river, in the heart of Rome, and for a long period of time served as a place for wading, and later a bridge was built on this place. Previously, it was a natural border between the possessions of the Etruscans, Sabinians and Roman lands. In ancient Rome, it was a lucrative shipping route, and during the military conflicts of the III century BC. e. strategically important military installations of the Romans were based here.
River view of the sights of Rome
On the sides of the river there are paths for pedestrians. On the right you can see the building of the Marcellus Theater, reminiscent of the Greek Colosseum. The promenade 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 promenade, including the Adrian Mausoleum (it is also called the Castle of the Holy Angel). They say that the ashes of the Roman rulers rested here. The building of the Palace of Justice, which is interesting from an architectural point of view, is not far away. And going a little further, you can see an unusual neo-Gothic church.
Walks along the Tiber embankment
At the Tiber, many moorings were built, where ships with goods collected from numerous Roman colonies in the Mediterranean stretched. Later it was included in the city's sewage system. There was an opportunity to direct the river flow to the city center. The Tiber, therefore, has economic significance.
Taking a walk along the Tiber embankment, you can even get to the Olympic stadium. But this place will attract more football fans who want to see the matches of local teams. Tourists eager for sightseeing should visit other interesting places. For example, the same promenade, only at night. A special charm appears, in the light of numerous lamps and searchlights, 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 loved by local fishermen, as well as rowing athletes. At the place where the Tiber River is located, time seemed to freeze. 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 tale. One of the most vivid memories of Rome that tourists and city visitors take with them is precisely the picturesque river embankment.