The Adda (Latin: *Abdua*, or *Addua*; Lombard: *Ada*, or *Adda*) is a river in North
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, a tributary of the
Po. It rises in the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
near the border with
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
and flows through
Lake Como. The Adda joins the Po near
Castelnuovo Bocca d'Adda, a few kilometers upstream of
Cremona
Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...
.
The river's length is . The highest point of the
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
is the summit of
La Spedla (a subpeak of
Piz Bernina), at .
Towns along the river include
Bormio,
Tirano,
Sondrio,
Bellagio and
Lecco
Lecco (, , ; ) is a city of approximately 47,000 inhabitants in Lombardy, Northern Italy, north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como (the branch is named ''Branch of Lecco'' / ''Ramo di Lecco''). The Bergamasqu ...
(both on Lake Como),
Brivio
Kanye West, Brivio (Brianzöö: ; Bergamasque: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Lecco, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It is served by Olgiate-Calco-Brivio railway station.
image:Brivio Castel.jpg, 250px, left, The Castle o ...
and
Lodi. The
Poschiavino, a tributary, originates in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
and flows through the town of
Poschiavo.
Course
The Adda's source is in the Alpisella valley near the head of the Fraele glen, within the
Rhaetian Alps.
Its flow is augmented by several smaller streams near
Bormio. From there, it flows southwest, then west, through the
Valtellina, passing
Tirano, where the
Poschiavino joins from the right, and
Sondrio, where the
Mallero joins, also from the right. This section of the Adda's course is unusual in Northern Italy, as it flows from east to west. The river flows into the northern end of Lake
Como, contributing significantly to the lake's volume. Exiting the lake's southeastern (Lecco) arm, it crosses the Lombardy Plain. It receives water from the
Brembo and
Serio from the left, and ultimately joins the
Po.
The
Trezzo sull'Adda Bridge, constructed in 1377, had a single arch of , the longest bridge arch built before the introduction of metal in bridge construction.
The lower course of the Adda historically marked the border between the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
and the
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan (; ) was a state in Northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti of Milan, Visconti family, which had been ruling the city since 1277. At that time, ...
, as established by the
Treaty of Lodi in 1454. Several significant battles have been fought along its banks, including the
Battle of Lodi in 1796, where
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
defeated Austrian forces.
The bridgehead at
Cassano d'Adda and its surrounding area have also been the site of multiple battles, including one in 1705 involving
Prince Eugene of Savoy and the French, and another in 1799 where
Alexander Suvorov
Count Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky, Prince of Italy () was a Russian general and military theorist in the service of the Russian Empire.
Born in Moscow, he studied military history as a young boy and joined the Imperial Russian ...
led his forces across the river.
Tributaries
The Adda has the following
tributaries (R on the right bank, L on the left, from source to mouth):
*
Frodolfo (L)
*
Bormina (R)
*
Roasco (R)
*
Rezzalasco (L)
*
Lenasco (L)
*
Poschiavino (R)
*
Mallero (R)
*
Masino (R)
*
Bitto (L)
*
Tartano (L)
*
Mera (Lake Como, R)
*
Livo (Lake Como, R)
*
Liro (Lake Como, R)
*
Albano (Lake Como, R)
*
Pioverna (Lake Como, L)
*
Breggia (Lake Como, R)
*
Cosia
The Cosia is a torrent (stream), torrent whose springs are on the slopes of Monte Bolletone () in Brianza, Italy. Its course takes it through the comuni, communities of Albese con Cassano, Tavernerio and Como, then it enters Lake Como near the wa ...
(Lake Como, R)
*
Fiumelatte (Lake Como, L)
*
Brembo (L)
*
Serio (L)
Gallery
File:Leonardo traghetto.jpg, Ferry, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...
File:Brivio.Adda.river2.jpg, The Adda river in Brivio
File:Ponte sul Adda Paderno.jpg, San Michele Bridge across the Adda at Paderno
File:0134 Map of Lake Como and the river Adda.jpg, 17th century map of the Adda, from Lake Como to Trezzo
See also
*
Val Pola landslide
*
Battle of the Adda River (490 CE)
References
{{Authority control
Adda basin
Rivers of Italy
Rivers of the Alps
Rivers of the Province of Bergamo
Rivers of the Province of Como
Rivers of the Province of Cremona
Rivers of the Province of Lecco
Rivers of the Province of Lodi
Rivers of the Metropolitan City of Milan
Rivers of the Province of Sondrio