The Tiber River enters the city of Rome, and Rome floats upon it.
On one side of the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, a gothic-style church containing the tombs of Saint Catherine of Siena as well as the painter Beato Angelico, you will find plaques on the wall indicating the level reached by the river during various floods. The oldest dates back to 1422, while the one indicating the highest level reached dates 1548.
The embankment walls of the Tiber now feature Triumphs and Laments, a site-specific artwork by William Kentridge that illustrates the past, victories, defeats, and challenges faced by the Eternal City. Once again it is the wall that narrates the history of Rome: the artist has chosen to create the figures of the 500-meter long frieze by simply erasing the natural patina from the travertine.
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