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The Cascata delle Marmore () or Marmore Falls is a tiered, man-made waterfall in
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 ...
, created by the Romans in 271BC. At 165m (541 feet) tall, it is the largest man-made waterfall in the world. It is located 7.7 km from
Terni Terni ( ; ; ) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria, in Central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera (Tiber), River Nera. It is northeast ...
, in the region of
Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...
.


History

In ancient times, the
Velino River The Velino is a river in central Italy, a tributary of the Nera (Tiber), Nera. Its source is located on Monte Pozzoni's slopes (1,903 m) near Cittareale. Aftwards, it runs through a narrow valley next the Mount Terminillo, known as "Gole del ...
fed a
wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
in the
Rieti Valley The Rieti Valley or Rieti Plain ( or ''Conca Reatina'') is a small plain in central Italy, where lies the city of Rieti, Lazio. It is also known as Sacred Valley and Holy Valley () since saint Francis of Assisi lived here for many years and erec ...
. In 271 BC, in order to reclaim the land (and to possibly remove the supposed threat of
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
to the nearby city of
Rieti Rieti (; , Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina region. T ...
), the
Roman consul The consuls were the highest elected public officials of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC). Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum''an ascending sequence of public offices to which politicians aspire ...
Manius Curius Dentatus Manius Curius Dentatus (died 270 BC) was a Roman general and statesman noted for ending the Samnite War and for his military exploits during the Pyrrhic War. According to Pliny, he was born with teeth, thus earning the surname Dentatus, "toothed ...
ordered the construction of a
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
(the ''Curiano Trench'') to divert the stagnant waters over the cliff near Marmore, thus directing it into the Nera River below. Lack of maintenance in the canal resulted in a decrease of flow that eventually allowed the wetland to reappear. In 1422,
Pope Gregory XII Pope Gregory XII (; ;  – 18 October 1417), born Angelo Corraro, Corario," or Correr, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 November 1406 to 4 July 1415. Reigning during the Western Schism, he was opposed by the Avignon claimant Benedi ...
ordered the construction of a new canal to restore the original flow (the ''Gregorian Trench'' or ''Rieti Trench''). In 1545,
Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...
ordered that a new canal be built (the ''Pauline Trench''). The plan was to expand the ''Curiano Trench'' and to build a regulating valve to control the flow. Upon its completion in 1598,
Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...
inaugurated the new work and named it after himself: the ''Clementine Trench''. Over the following two centuries, the canal and the Nera often created flooding issues for the valley below. In 1787,
Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
ordered architect
Andrea Vici Andrea Vici (1743–1817) was an Italian architect and engineer, active in a Neoclassical style. He was a pupil of Luigi Vanvitelli, and active in the Papal States comprising parts of Lazio, Umbria, and Marche. Biography Andrea was born in Ar ...
to modify the leaps below the falls, giving the falls their present look and finally resolving the majority of the problems.
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
visited the waterfall and referenced it in the narrative poem ''
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage ''Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: A Romaunt'' is a long narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. The poem was published between 1812 and 1818. Dedicated to " Ianthe", it describes the travels and reflections of a young man disillusioned ...
'', published between 1812 and 1818. In 1896, the newly formed steel mills in Terni began using the water flow in the ''Curiano Trench'' to power their operation. In the following years, engineers began using the water flow to generate electricity.


Current status

Typically, the water in the canals above the falls is diverted to the Galleto hydroelectric power plant, reducing the flow over the falls. Established in 1929, the Galleto plant has a capacity of roughly 530 MW. Piediluco Lake, situated above the falls, acts as a reservoir for this power plant. To manage the power plant's operation and cater to tourists, the falls operate on a set schedule. The falls usually flow from 12:00 to 13:00 and again from 16:00 to 17:00 daily, with extended hours on holidays. There is an entrance fee to access the falls and its nearby areas. Visitors can follow a path leading to the falls' summit. En route, a tunnel provides access to an observatory adjacent to the falls. Another observatory near the peak offers a panoramic view of both the falls and the Nera Valley below.


See also

*
List of waterfalls This list of notable waterfalls of the world is sorted by continent, then country, then province, state or territory. A waterfall is included if it is at least tall and has an existing Wikipedia article, or it is considered historically sig ...
* List of waterfalls by height


References


External links


Official website
{{Authority control Terni Waterfalls of Umbria Roman sites of Umbria