Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Hernan Gimenez
The Tiber River has been an indispensable part of the development of Italian civilisation, it is the river of Rome in Italy. Here you can find out all about this majestic waterway, as well as the name of the river that runs through Rome.
Similarly, in this article you will find the name of the river that runs through Rome, where it originates, where it flows, route and the rivers of Rome as they are called.
The Tiber River, of great importance to the Romans, the city and the country, is the third longest river in Italy. The first is the Po and then the Adige.
Indice De Contenido
Location and map of the Tiber River
The Tiber River is located in Rome, Italy. The Tiber is of great importance to the Romans, the city and the country as it is the third longest river in Italy. It is four hundred and five kilometres long and crosses Rome from north to south.
If we already know where the Tiber is, we should know that it has its source in Mount Fumaiolo, in the Apennines, at one thousand two hundred and sixty-eight metres above sea level, in the region of Tuscany, and that it flows until it reaches the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The map of the Tiber River shows how it flows all the way to Rome and how it continues to the Tyrrhenian Sea. During its journey, the Tiber receives the waters of five rivers, these are
- The Chiascio River.
- The Farfa River.
- The river Aniene.
- The river Paglia.
- The river Nera.
Tiber River Rome
The city of Rome owes its origins to the Tiber River. It was founded on the banks of a low, marshy area, and with the construction of the city, the land became dry. It was built near the Tiber Island.
The city grew and was in a very good position, thanks to the rivers of Rome, especially the Tiber, all kinds of ships arrived and trade was very good in the area, which helped the city to develop rapidly.
Then the river that flows through Rome soon widened and it was necessary to build a wooden bridge, which until centuries later was replaced by a stone bridge due to its inevitable deterioration, the bridge was called the Sublicio Bridge (the first bridge in Rome).
The Tiber Rome is considered to be the soul of the city. The river is prone to great floods and thus causes great floods and many problems for the city, which the people saw as punishments or warnings of even worse tragedies.
This was done until the 800s, when the degradation of the riverbed and the fall of the water level made this route impossible. Nowadays, the river that runs through Rome is used for tourist purposes. Only boats are suitable for transporting tourists (see article: River Douro).
Along the route of the Tiber we find a great number of bridges, of great importance for the communication of the city and of great architectural contribution.
Among the most important and oldest we have the Emilio Bridge, or as it is called today, the Broken Bridge, because very little remains of it, it was until 1598 after a great flood that only half of the bridge was left and it was not rebuilt.
The following bridges were built near Ponte Roto: Ponte Fabricio and Ponte Cestio, which serve as links to the Tiber Island.
Further upstream are Ponte Milvio, Ponte Sixtus and Ponte Sant’Angelo, built to link the castle of the same name to the city (see article on the Thames).
Among the rivers of Rome, the river was a key point for the emergence of the city, it was the carrier of drinking water, for centuries it was a means of communication and trade.
Centuries ago, it was the source of livelihood for the local people, as it provided good fishing.
Nowadays it is only used for tourist purposes and offers spectacular scenery, from its bridges, which are architectural beauties, to the palaces and villas that surround it.
The Tiber is located in an area protected by the Natural Reserve of the Roman Littoral.
The variety of the flora makes it a unique landscape, along its banks we can see trees such as pines, eucalyptus and poplars.
Due to the frequent flooding, retaining walls have been built to channel the river and prevent it from overflowing, although when it rains very heavily, the river rises so much that there are always small overflows. In 2008, the river flooded quite high, affecting many residents and shopkeepers.
The Tiber river is polluted
Having explained where the Tiber is, where it comes from, its course, etc., let us now talk about its pollution. Studies carried out by an archaeologist have shown that the waters of the Tiber have been polluted since the city was founded, with lead contamination due to the pipes used at the time, which were made of this material (see article: Tiber River).
Today, the river is polluted by citizens who have no conscience and dump their rubbish in the river. The last cleaning of the river took place in 2008. The workers do not offer their services because they say that the state of the Tiber is shameful. The cleaning of the river has become a bureaucratic problem, as no one wants to take responsibility for the problem.
In the following video you can see some of the bridges and part of the beautiful Tiber river.