The Banks of the Tiber

According to ancient legend, the city of Rome was founded in 753 BC on the banks of the Tiber.

So after a few days of acclimatisation and La Dolce Vita it was time to stretch the old legs and navigate parts of Rome that are mainly used by the local permanent residents.



With the intention of walking the 2 miles from our hotel to the Basilica at St. Peters Square, we decided to use the footpaths and cycleway immediately alongside the river itself.



The river has been confined since 1876 between high stone embankments. Within the city, the riverbanks are lined by boulevards known as lungoteveri, streets 'along the Tiber'.



To access the walkway we crossed the Ponte Palatino (below) before passing the Isola Tiberina in mid-stream, between Trastevere and the ancient center of the City.





The Tiber was critically important to Roman trade and commerce, as ships could reach as far as 100 kilometres (60 miles) upriver; there is evidence that it was used to ship grain from the Val Teverina as long ago as the 5th century BC.



Walking along the western bank we passed under three bridges before leaving the river banks to climb the Ponte Princ that leads past the Castel Sant' Angelo on the approach to St Peters Square.



Only a week previously over 2 million people attended the penultimate stage of the confirmation of Pope John Paul II (who must be one of the most popular Popes of the modern day) as a saint.



The scale of the Basilica itself is amazing and befits the head quarters of the Catholic Church.




Next on the agenda was a long trek along the walls of the Vatican City to visit the Sistine Chapel to see 'The Creation of Adam'- fresco's painted on the ceiling by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. Unfortunately taking photographs were prohibited.