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Rome is working on a plan to make the River Tiber, which runs through the heart of the Italian capital, suitable for public swimming again by 2032, following a similar effort carried out on the Seine in Paris.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said the municipality was working both to improve navigation along parts of the river where it is currently disrupted and to bring back swimming.
"We have a work plan that can make the Tevere (Tiber) swimmable by 2032, as happened with the Seine in Paris," the mayor told news agency ANSA. "And we will do it."
Residents of Rome were able to swim freely in the Tiber until the 1960s, when growing pollution led authorities to bring in fines for people entering the river.
One long-running tradition, however, has remained exempt from the restrictions. Since 1946, participants have jumped into the Tiber from the Cavour Bridge every Jan. 1 as part of Rome's traditional New Year's Day dive.
The plan draws a parallel with the Seine, which runs through Paris and was closed to swimming in 1923 because of pollution and heavy boat traffic.
The river was made suitable again for several competitions during the 2024 Summer Olympics, while designated areas were later opened for the public to swim.
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