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Low water reveals ancient bridge in Rome’s Tiber River
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- The remains of Nero’s Bridge, an ancient Roman bridge, have resurfaced in the Tiber River near St. Peter’s Basilica due to significantly low water levels caused by a dry period.
- Nero’s Bridge, named after Emperor Nero, once connected Rome’s city center with the Tiber’s right bank and is believed by scholars to have been originally built by Caligula around 39 AD.
- The area is historically significant as it is near Nero’s circus, where the Apostle Peter was martyred, according to archaeologist Antonella Bonini.
- The Tiber River’s flow has dropped to about half its historic average for July, reaching below 80 cubic meters per second, signaling a major water crisis in Rome.
- Giovanni Giganti from Rome’s civil protection service attributes the crisis to extended dry periods despite abundant rainfall in the previous winter.
