Nero’s Bridge resurfaces in Rome as Tiber levels hit historic low
Rome’s 2,000-year-old Nero’s Bridge has re-emerged from the Tiber River as water levels fall to 80 cubic metres per second, less than half the July average.
Source: Associated Press · August 16, 2026 at 5:44 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 14 AUGUST 2026 —
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Rome’s 2,000-year-old Nero’s Bridge has re-emerged from the Tiber River as water levels fall to 80 cubic metres per second, less than half the July average.
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The crumbling stone arches of the structure, named for Emperor Nero and once linking central Rome to the Vatican, surfaced near St Peter’s Basilica after weeks of near-zero rainfall. The Tiber’s flow has fallen below 80 cubic metres per second, down from the historic July average of about 150 cubic metres, civil protection officials said.
Antonella Bonini, an archaeologist at Rome’s cultural heritage superintendency, said Nero is most closely linked to the area because St Peter was martyred in Nero’s circus, where the Vatican now stands. “However, scholars consider the bridge to be older — built by Caligula, Nero’s uncle,” she said. “It existed as early as 39 AD.”
Giovanni Giganti, coordinator of the Rome civil protection service’s centre for water management, warned the drought is worsening. “We are facing a major water crisis,” he said. The dry spell followed a wet winter, deepening the broader crisis.