Walk Rome

Rome: the Floods of the Tiber

 As we walk Rome, today we will visit in the area of the Pantheon in the center of Rome. After walking around to the back of that immense building, the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva appears. On the wall of the façade of the church, there are several plaques with wording and curious designs.

The original settlement was formed on the banks of the Tiber at the easiest way to cross, near the current Isola Tiberina. Rome grew in size and strength, early on, through trade, as the curve of the river provided an ideal place for landing ships. But even in ancient times, the river was subject to frequent flooding, and the Romans had to undertake major works to raise the level of the ground and drain the water in order to construct the early Forum.

Through the years, the Tiber continued to flood. According to legend, in 1598, the swollen river flooded such a great part of the city that inside the Pantheon the water was 18 feet high, and when at last it retreated, a boat was found abandoned on a small hill. Afterwards, in that area, a fountain in the shape of a boat was built, in what later became one of the most famous squares of the Eternal City.

Lines extending from fingers indicate Tiber flood levels.

On the façade of the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, on the right side of the entrance, are several plaques. Wording in Latin is accompanied by drawings of a hand, where the index finger points to indicate the level of the Tiber recorded during floods over the years. The last major flood was in 1870, after which the fledgling Italian nation enclosed the river in its embankments.  Imagine how deep the water must have been in the nearby Pantheon!

A translation of the wording in Latin below the figure:

« UP TO HERE GREW THE TIBER
AND ROME WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN
COMPLETELY FLOODED, HAD THE VIRGIN
NOT PERFORMED HERE HER SWIFT ACTION »

There were plaques at many spots all over the city recording the water level after floods, but the best place to see them is right here, where several survive. On the same wall, the last major flood in 1870 was recorded.

This is the last post on this wall. The plaque at the top reads “Alluvione del Decem. 1870,” that is, “Flood of December 1870.” The walls to contain the river were begun soon after. Buildings and the two river ports were razed to allow the construction of the walls, which are about 39 feet tall and protect both sides of the river. Since then, Rome has suffered only three floods, the last one occurring in 1937.