TIBER LOVERS
LOVE & HISTORY
R
|
ivers do not always
happen to make history, but most of the time. they witness
this history at its making .
So did the
famous Tiber, the longest in Roma.
According to legends,
a wolf breast fed Remus and Romulus, the two brothers credited for having
founded the eternal city. It was at the
beginning as Eneus left Troy burning after the collapse of this city. From
then, the Tiber that overlooked Roma became part of social and political life,
back to Nero times when young Italians were dreaming onshore while promising
each other faithfulness along this river still meaning a lot for them.
The Tiber keeps
flowing, but lovers, in a fight to make their passion endure, started
writing messages they locked on a lamp. Too many of those artifacts call for
attention and the left wing mayor wanted a fee to protect the history aspect of
the city. What ignited lovers and politicians. People affirmed that two novels
by Frederico Moccia were not innocent on this move: Tre Metri sopra
il Cielo ( Three meters above the sky) and Ho Voglia di te ( I desire you)
remain still today a kind of bible for teenagers and young Italians tormented
by love.
“The so-called
love padlock Craze” ensued.
In the meantime, Love
padlocks have inspired a music to the singer Tiziano Ferro producing a
video and a film with director Luis Prieto about this Roman fire.
A curse linked apparently to this river had something to do with a
famous battle on Ponte Milvio between Maxentius and Constantine, two
pretenders for the title of Roman emperor, on 28 October 312. So much explains
maybe the creation of a literary prize"The Golden Padlock" -
which is awarded on Ponte Milvio every year on Saint Valentine's Day, 14
February.
But whatever happened,
politics in city office and some where else could not stop
youngsters from vowing themselves love for ever the way
Tiber flows since immemorial times.
Sic transit Gloria mundi,
a Latin saying noted, long time ago.
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