(25 Aug 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rome, 25 August 2022
1. Tiber river under Vittorio Emanuele II bridge, Sant'Angelo Castle in background
2. Part of Nero's bridge ruins with ferryboat in background
3. Close of seagull perched on Nero's bridge ruins
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Majanlahti, historian and writer:
"Well this bridge, the Pons Neronianus, or the Bridge of Nero, was built probably by either the Emperor Nero, who it's called after, or the Emperor Caligula, who is his predecessor, two Emperors before. And it seems to have been built principally for the Emperor to be able to get across to his gardens, to the family pleasure gardens, on the side of the Janiculum hill, facing over towards what is now Piazza San Pietro."
5. Tilt up from river water to Nero's bridge ruins
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Majanlahti, historian and writer:
"Because the water level of the river is so low now, due to widespread drought across Italy, we're able to see a lot more of the piers of the bridge than we usually could. Generally speaking, only in the driest season does part of this pier turn up above the water, and now we can see part of a second pier."
7. Seagulls on Nero's bridge ruins
8. Wide of emerged ruins of Nero's bridge
9. Various of ruins of Nero's bridge
10. Nero's bridge under Vittorio Emanuele II bridge, ferryboat in the background
11. Close of Nero's bridge
12. Seagull on river
13. Nero's bridge ruins from above
14. People walking on Sant'Angelo bridge
15. View of river from above with ferryboat
16. Tiber under the Sisto bridge
17. Green layer on Tiber
18. Garbage on green algae layer on water
19. Bird laying on log amid green layer on water
20. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Carmen Di Penta, General Director of Marevivo non-profit environmental association:
"We are here under Ponte Sixto this time. Let's just say that the situation with the drought is more or less the same. There has not been any more water flow, absolutely. We are seeing even more of what we would call "macrophyte", which is all these mini, little plants, and lots of algae that have created, as you can see, a sort-of carpet. A very visible carpet (on the river)."
21. Aquatic plants floating on the river's surface
22. Bicycle partially submerged in river
23. Wide of Tiber river under Garibaldi's bridge, swamp-like landscape
STORYLINE
As Italy faces its worst drought in seventy years, the lack of rainfall in Rome has brought ancient ruins to the surface of the Tiber River.
These moss-covered rocks near the Vittorio Emanuele bridge are the remains of a Roman pier that once held up what is known as "Nero's Bridge", named after the famous Roman emperor.
The ruins emerged this summer as the water level of the Tiber River steadily dropped.
According to historian Anthony Majanlahti, the bridge was likely built in the first century AD for Emperor Nero to access his pleasure gardens across the river.
For the moment, the usual Roman car traffic rushes past above and tourists flock to Rome's well-known monuments leaving this piece of ancient history to the seagulls.
The drought has also caused more algae on the Tiber, and low water levels also reveal rubbish that has been dumped in the river.
The Italian government has declared a state of emergency in several regions because of the prolonged drought and accompanying heat wave.
Authorities managing the northern Po river have put the country’s longest waterway on the highest level of drought severity alert.
AP Video shot by Gianfranco Stara
Produced by Sabrina Sergi
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