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[Regions
of Italy] 
[Back to Rome]
Unless
you are a Roman, the title of this article may not mean much to you. But locals
know that it is a true sore point to have what they consider the world's most
illustrious river running right through the middle of the Eternal City when
for decades, yea for centuries, it has been off limits to human navigation!
In antiquity, the Tiber was the main highway into the city, and almost all goods
consumed by the million or so inhabitants arrived by boat from the sea. But
in recent memory, every time a boat has ventured out onto those waters, the
experiment has been short-lived, with the possible exception of a couple houseboats
that stay put on their moorings and host very popular restaurants.
Could
it be that the curse is being lifted? Well ... maybe. In April 27, 2003, a small
fleet of steamboats whose flagship is named Rea Silvia (mother of Romulus and
Remus, the mythical twins who founded the city) began plying the waters between
the Duca d'Aosta Bridge (near the Olympic Stadium) and Ponte Marconi (below
Trastevere). Each boat can carry 78 people and makes the 75-minute journey daily,
from 7 am to 10 pm, with one pushing off every 5 to 12 minutes. Rea Silvia also
runs an evening service starting at 7 pm, which includes dinner and live music.
The whole thing was so successful that the boats are now running an
auxiliary public transportation service! For the modest price of 1 Euro/person,
you can get on or off at the following bridges: Duca d’Aosta, Risorgimento,
Cavour, Sant’Angelo, Sisto, Isola Tiberina, Ripa Grande, and Marconi.
From the latter bridge, you can even travel to the fabulous ancient
city of Ostia Antica along the river, just as the Romans did 2000
years ago! (This boat goes once a day, at 9:15 am, and returns by 3:30 pm).
Those who need wheelchair accessibility will find it at Duca D’Aosta,
Isola Tiberina, Ripa Grande, Marconi and Ostia Antica. You can buy tickets at
any of the public Information Booths listed at the bottom of this article.
Sound
good? It sure sounded swell to the Romans from the moment they heard the news!
On inauguration day, every movie star, politician and jet setter in the Capitol
made a beeline for the dock and crammed on board, alongside 150 senior citizens
from local rest homes and 70 youngsters from Peter Pan shelters. Serious problems
arose the next day, when the real romani showed up -- so many of them in fact
that there were riots the local constabulary just barely managed to keep in
check. Extra staff members were hastily hired and boat service was stepped up,
and it seems the situation has now quieted down, but the orderly conduct of
the passengers does not assure that you, too, will be able to share this fascinating
experience, because the Tiber is notorious for drying up in the summertime,
which is exactly when the rides would be the most enjoyable.
Despite discouraging precedents, our friend the Mayor, Walter Velroni, fully intends to keep these boats an integral part of the Roman public transportation system. If you have a couple extra hours and want to be among the privileged few who can say they have sailed the Tiber, be sure to find out whether the boats are still running when you come to town.
Here are the Information Booths where you can purchase tickets
[Regions
of Italy]
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