The Tiber (lat. Tiberis; Tevere) is a visiting card of Rome since the time of the Great Empire.
A winding pond goes around the famous hills of the Italian capital, lovingly outlining the silhouette of the Trastevere district. The brilliant mirror of the river is everywhere surrounded by monuments of ancient and medieval architecture. Dozens of bridges connect the left and right banks of the Tiber, giving Roman landscapes unrivaled romance.
Geography
The Tiber originates in the mountain slopes of the Apennines of the Emilia-Romagna region. A full-flowing mountain river on its way to Rome crosses Umbria and Lazio. The Nera and Aniene rivers flow into the body of water. On the eve of Rome, the river is framed by concrete fortifications, the channel turns into the Fossa Traiani canal throughout the capital. The end point of the Tiber waters is the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The total length of the Tiber is 406 km, which puts it in third place in Italy in terms of length. The river basin is 17 thousand 375 km2. For Rome, the reservoir has the value of the main source of water supply. Italians often call the Tiber the Latin name "flavus", which means "white". This nickname appeared due to the yellowish-whitish color of river waters.
Title
There are several suggestions regarding the origin of the name Tiber. According to one of them, "Tiber" has pre-Latin roots, originating from the name of its own "Tibur" - the ancient name of the city of Tivoli, located 30 km from Rome. Also, references to the name of the river are found in the letters of the Etruscans, in the original - "Tiferios", which, when switching to Italian, could transform into "Tiber".
There were some legends in the biography of the famous river. King Tiberinus (Latin Tiberinus), who lived in the 900s BC, was drowned in the Albula River (Latin Albula), which later became known as Tiberis (Latin Tiberis). The deceased king was turned by the god Jupiter into the keeper of rough waters, Volturnus (lat. Volturnus). It is believed that it was thanks to this ancient myth that rivers, seas and oceans in the sculpture began to be depicted as powerful men.
Story
The Tiber was precisely the river in which, according to legend, they tried to drown the babies of Romulus (lat. Romulus) and Rem (lat. Remus), the founders of Rome.
Historians believe that Rome was founded around 753 BC. on the banks of the Tiber, 25 km from the coast of Ostia (lat. Ostia Antica). In ancient times, the border between the Etruscans in the west, the Sabines in the east and the Latins in the south passed along the riverbed.
A large role was played by the river for the Romans, who built their economy through the movement of merchant ships. Merchants delivered provisions, construction materials and other goods to the capital. During the Punic Wars in the 3rd century BC the port at Osti was key for naval battles. Thus, Rome also acquired a strategic dominant in hostilities.
Later, along the coast in the area of the Field of Mars (lat. Campus Martius) an extensive pier was built. And during the arrangement of the central water supply system of the capital of Big Kloaki (lat. Cloaca Maxima), the Tiber became its important component. Thanks to the underground tunnels and pipes, clean water was delivered to the city center.
Over time, the river became shallow, the capital's port and sea trade migrated to Fiumicino, adjacent to Rome. AT In the 17-18 centuries, the pontificate made a lot of efforts to clear the channel of the reservoir on the territory of Rome. The work performed has improved the ecology of the river, however, little has changed in the transport plan, since river transport has lost its former significance.
Interesting Facts
- The Tiber originates from 2 mountain springs located at an altitude of 1268 m above sea level. In 1930, Benito Mussolini installed an ancient marble column at the source of the river. Latin words were engraved on the obelisk, meaning: "Here a river / sacred was born for the fate of Rome."
- One of the hallmarks of the river is regular floods. So, the area of the Field of Mars often went 2 meters under water. Since 1876, the Romans have been in relative safety, as the city authorities built high stone fences on both banks of the Tiber.
- Another interesting fact is connected with the name of the river: the stable expression "cross the Tiber" means to convert to the Catholic faith. By analogy, "cross the Thames" means to plunge into Englishism. During the confrontation of religions, such idioms were of great importance.
- In ancient Rome, the public execution of criminals was carried out through drowning in the Tiber. Under the emperor of Tiberius (Latin Tiberius), convicts were taken to the Gemonie Terrace (Scale Gemonie), and then pushed into deep waters. Such an unenviable fate was awarded not only to ordinary robbers, but also to the first Christian pontiffs.
- The Romans love to cheer themselves up by bathing in cold water. January 1, the brave, if not desperate, residents of the capital, jumping to the Tiber! From the Cavour bridge (Ponte Cavour), screaming at the crowd!
- The promenade is an ideal place for morning and evening jogging and cycling trips.
Bridges
In Rome, the left and right banks of the Tiber are connected by 26 bridges. Along with new, several ancient buildings have successfully survived to our days.
- Mulviev Bridge (Ponte Molle) was created in the 1st century BC to extend the Flamia road (Via Flaminia) and connect Rome with the Ariminum (modern Rimini). In the 4th century AD, a grand battle of the emperors Maxentius (lat. Maxentius) and Constantine I the Great (lat. Constantinus) took place at the Mulviev bridge. It was a battle not so much for power, but for the dominant religion. The defeated Maxentius drowned in the Tiber, and Constantine became one step closer to the status of the sole emperor of Rome. Thus began the era of Christianity. Today, near the Mulviev Bridge, the Olympic Stadium (Stadio Olimpico) is located where home football matches of Roma and Lazio clubs are held.
- Sisto Bridge (Ponte Sisto) - A pedestrian crossing between the right bank of the Tiber and the Trastevere district. The medieval stone bridge, dedicated to the name of Pope Sixtus IV, looks very picturesque against the backdrop of the old promenade. On the left bank, just behind the bridge is Piazza Trulissa - A popular meeting place for residents of the capital and guests of Trastevere. From July to August, the Tiber promenade at Sixtus Bridge is filled with tents with light snacks, cocktails and live music. Everyone is invited to ask the price of the tray trade and plunge into the cozy evening atmosphere.
- To the south of the Vatican (Vaticano) on the river is a small island - Tiberina (Isola Tiberina). Aerial view, it looks like a fishing boat. Around 1000, the island founded the Basilica of St. Bartholomew (Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola), which houses the tomb of San Bartolomeo. If you cross the Tiber through the island, then on the right bank you can find one of the amazing Roman sights - the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verita).
- Bridge of the Holy Angel (Ponte Sant'Angelo) dates from the 2nd century AD It is designed exclusively for walking. In ancient times, the bridge bore the name of Emperor Hadrian, since it was built at his command. The crossing leads to the mausoleum of Hadrian, which in the Middle Ages received the second name - Castle of the Holy Angel. The huge stone cylinder of the castle contains the remains of Christian pontiffs and many ancient artifacts. In the 15-16 centuries, the bridge, lined with marble, was decorated with statues of Saints Peter and Paul. And in the 17th century Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) supplemented the decor with 10 statues of angels.
