Rome’s amazingly beautiful and historic Tiber River ..

The Tiber river runs through the centre of ancient Rome and is one of the longest running rivers in Italy.  With the light reflecting at dusk and dawn the reflections are so pretty.  To me the Tiber river adds a sense of calmness to the ever so chaotic atmosphere in the centre of Rome.

There are many cruise tours and walking tours along the Tiber that will take you past ancient historical monuments, I love to simply walk the rivers edge sometimes, I think many Romans take the river for granted and forget its worth and history due to their busy daily lives.

The Tiber river flows from the Appennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna through Umbria and then Lazio which is the region that Rome resides, and then all the way through to the Tyrrhenian Sea.  I’m sure you have heard of Romulus and Remus who were the twin brothers supposably to have founded Rome, legend has it that the brothers were abandoned on the waters of the Tiber river and were then rescued by their rearing she-wolf.  There is so much more to the Tiber river than most know about and this is generally due to its overriding surrounding famous and beautiful historical monuments such as the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and the Vatican Museum to name a few that tourists generally rush to see.

Next time to you visit Rome take a stroll along river’s banks that will lead you alongside Trastevere which is on the west bank of the Tiber and south of the Vatican City, continue the flow of the river through one of my all time loved areas of Rome which is the peaceful Jewish Ghetto sitting on the opposite side of Trastevere and in the middle you can pay visit to Isola Tiberina which is an exceptionally important and historical Island in Rome’s centre also known as the Tiber Island.  There are many legends surrounding the island that date back to 510 BC, one being that the shape of the island which is of a boat shape is due to it sitting on top of an ancient ship that sank with the island still maintaining the shape of the boat, yet this is only one of a few legends surrounding the history of the island. The island is linked by two bridges one being the oldest and the only original bridge in Rome which is the Ponte Fabricio leading to the Jewish Ghetto and Ponte Cestio which will lead you to Trastevere.

During the European summer months between June and September Isola Tiberina is host to a cinema festival known as L’Isola Del Cinema that showcases local Italian films and many international films.  This year in 2012 will be the 18th edition of the cinema festival on the island, its a fun night out with the island hosting cocktail evenings and the edges of the river often lined with bars, galleries and cafes.  The Tiber river is definitely worth stopping to acknowledge next time you visit Rome.