Cascata del Serpente (in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

''Snake's waterfall'') is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

located in the Ligurian Apennine (

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

). In the past it was also named ''Cascata delle Cheucie''. With other secondary drops it forms the ''cascate del Serpente'' complex.

Geography

The waterfalls are located in the rugged and step valley of torrente Masone, a

left-hand tributary The Left Hand or Left hand may refer to: *One of a pair of organs of the primate body, called ''hands'', attached to the arms at the wrists **Left-handedness, a term referring to a person who primarily uses their left hand to accomplish tasks and a ...

of the Stura di Ovada. The waterfall is not formed by a discontinuity in the stream bedrock, but by a diverse grade of breaking of the same type of rock, the

greenschist Greenschists are metamorphic rocks that formed under the lowest temperatures and pressures usually produced by regional metamorphism, typically and 2–10 kilobars (). Greenschists commonly have an abundance of green minerals such as chlorite ...

s prevailing in the small valley. This different grade of fracturation produced the step from which the water jumps in the underlying lake, leaping over a less fractured (and thus less erodible) rock layer. The site is considered one ''sito di interesse geomorfolgico'' (''site of

geomorphological Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or n ...

interest'') of the Parco naturale regionale del Beigua. The Park administration created close to the waterfalls a ''Percorso botanico'' (''botanical itinerary'') in co-operation with a local secondary school. In summer the small lake underlying the main drop is a popular bathing place.

History

In the past the waterfall was named ''Cascata delle Cheucie'', ad only the small lake was referred as ''del Serpente'' (''of the snake''). The abundant waters of torrente Masone were used for many purposes and is still possible to recognize ruins of a big

mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile manufacturing, Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the A ...

located near the junction of torrente Masone and the Stura. Closer to the waterfalls are located remains of ''Cartiera Savoi'', an ancient

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...

moved by freshwater.

Hiking and canyoning

The waterfalls can be easily reached from

Masone Masone ( or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about northwest of Genoa. Masone borders the following municipalities: Bosio, Campo Ligure, Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genov ...

centre by car or with a 30 minutes walk. A foothpath links the waterfall with Bric del Dente and the Po/

Ligurian Sea The Ligurian Sea ( it, Mar Ligure; french: Mer Ligurienne; lij, Mâ Ligure) is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea. It lies between the Italian Riviera (Liguria) and the island of Corsica. The sea is thought to have been named after the ancient ...

water divide. A

canyoning Canyoning (canyoneering in the United States, kloofing in South Africa) is a type of mountaineering that involves travelling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbi ...

itinerary partially equipped as

via ferrata A via ferrata ( Italian for "iron path", plural ''vie ferrate'' or in English ''via ferratas'') is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and certain other locations. The term "via ferrata" is used in most countries and languages except ...

flanks the main drop as well as the minor ones.

Notes

* {{commonscat-inline Cascata del Serpente Cascata del Serpente