Rome wants to be like Paris? The mayor of the "Eternal City" has an ambitious plan.

In a few years, will swimming in the Tiber become as natural as strolling through the Colosseum? Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, has commissioned consultations on restoring swimming in the river that flows through the heart of the Eternal City.

La Repubblica newspaper revealed that Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri , has commissioned environmental councilor Sabrina Alfonsi to conduct consultations on the possibility of… swimming in the Tiber , the river that flows through the "Eternal City." Will we really have to remember to pack our swimsuits when flying to Rome in a dozen or so years?

A barge floating on the river Tiber of the Eternal City / Unsplash, Saad Khan

Although the Tiber River is associated with a beautiful backdrop on postcards from Rome , or as recently as a set piece for a Dolce & Gabanna show , until the 1960s it was a daily occurrence for Romans . Bathing in the river was as natural as a morning espresso. So what happened? Industrialization arrived, and the proliferation of bacteria made the water unsafe . Anyone who dares to swim under Bernini's Bridge today risks a hefty fine and a few days with a stomach bug (at best). But a new idea from the mayor of Rome aims to change that.

Gualtieri's idea isn't original. In 2024, just before the Paris Olympics , city authorities spent over €1.4 billion to clean up the Seine . Despite the massive investment and sewage system modernization, training sessions for Olympic triathletes were canceled several times due to excessive bacterial growth . Some Olympians suffered serious poisoning after their "session" in the Seine .

The 2025 Architecture Biennale featured the Canal Café project, which… serves espresso with water from Venice's canals . Before the water reaches guests' cups, it flows through advanced filtration systems. While it sounds futuristic, it demonstrates that even dirty water can become a valuable resource .

Italian experts emphasize that restoring bathing in the Tiber will require:

– modernization of the sewage treatment plant,– reduction of pollution from the Aniene River (a tributary of the Tiber),– creation of water quality monitoring infrastructure,

– protecting bathing areas against the effects of heavy rainfall.