A Rolling River: The Tiber, or "Il Tevere"

The Tiber River is the river that runs through the city of Rome, in the country of Italy. In Latin, the river is titled the “Tiberis”. In Italian, the river is titled the “Tevere”. The streets running along both sides of the river are titled “Lungotevere”, which allows the street name to reflect the presence of the river. While passing the river, I’ve heard locals mention that “il fiume è bellissimo”, meaning “the river is beautiful”. Many locals walk along the river both for entertainment and/or as a commute for school or work.

            In this photo, a man is canoeing down the Tiber River. People are not allowed to swim in the river, as it is too polluted now. The river has been too polluted to be used for drinking water for centuries now. However, Ancient Romans utilized this very same river for fresh drinking water, yet now, it is dangerous to even touch the water due to the pollution. Isn’t it interesting how over time the quality of the river has gone from fresh, drinkable water to not even being able to swim in it? This is also the same with the Willamette River in downtown Portland, Oregon: Native Americans utilized the Willamette River for fresh drinking water, and nowadays it is not allowed to swim in the water or drink the water near the city.

Do you notice how the river is at such a low level surrounded by such tall walls? These tall walls are titled “muraglioni” (which directly translates to “massive walls”). These walls work to hold in the water during flooding seasons. The streets (the lungotevere) are located above the walls. The street-like path directly next to the river is a walking path that allows people to stroll along the water when the river is at a safe level. 

While on a walking tour led by my professor, I learned that the Tiber River is the reason why the city of Rome is located where it is located, geographically, as opposed to being located anywhere else. I also learned from my professor that the river is called “flavus” by locals, meaning “the blond”, because of the greenish-yellowish color shade of the water (“flavus” is actually a Latin word that translates into English as “yellow”). What do you think of the river’s color: do you think it’s more green, or yellow? 

The Tiber is the third-longest river located in Italy, flowing through the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio (Lazio is the region where the city of Rome is located!) Flowing through four regions of the country, the Tiber River is very long! The water of the Tiber River is sourced from the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is a part of the Mediterranean Sea, located off the West Coast of Italy. 

The Tiber River especially reminds me of the Willamette River in downtown Portland, because of how the river cuts down the middle of the city and splits the city in half. There are also many bridges which allow pedestrians, cars, and public transit systems such as buses and streetcars to cross the river as well. All the bridges over the Tiber River also reminds me of the many bridges that cross the Willamette River, which allow transportation between each half of the city by foot, by car, and by public transit.

This is a watercolour of the Tiber River by Ettore Roesler Franz, painted in the 1800s, before the creation of the muraglioni. Do you notice how the buildings are directly against the river in this painting? These buildings had to be demolished in order for the construction of the muraglioni to be able to keep the city safe from floods during rainy seasons. Isn’t it interesting how cities are reconstructed in order to meet the current needs of the population? 

Here's a quick video from a class walk by the river: 

I’d also like to start including poems that go with my blog posts, since my personal interest lies heavily within the realm of poetry. Here’s a cool poem I found online about the Tiber River (this poem has lots of repetition, which in poetry is called “anaphora”, and is used as a literary technique to emphasize certain words or images): 

The Tiber River 

by Patrick O’Reilly

The traffic ran one way
Down the old main drag
As I stood on the bridge of the Tiber River
The traffic ran one way
Down the old main drag
And I gazed at the ruins all scattered ‘round
And there were boards on the windows
Of the musty old houses
And they were ruins, all scattered ‘round

The wind was a-blowing
It was late September
As I stood on the bridge of the Tiber River
The window was a-howling
It was late September
And I gazed at the leaves on the soft, dirty ground
And I cursed on each one
That jumped down off each tree
There were ruins all scattered ‘round

The waves were rolling
If I remember
As I stood on the bridge of the Tiber River
The waves they were rolling
If I remember
And the river’s waters ran ragged and brown
The salt of the ocean
Was in my cuts and my bruises
There were ruins all scattered ‘round 

I allow I’ll come back
Sometime in summer
Just to stand on the bridge of the Tiber River
I allow I’ll come back
Some day, and some summer
If I make enough money in town
And I’ll lay down and die
On the soft, dirty ground
With the rest of the ruined old things scattered ‘round 

*

Bibliography (Sources)

https://www.ettoreroeslerfranz.com/en/acquerelli/roma-sparita/il-tevere/

https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-tiber-river/