The Conca is a river in the

Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...

and

Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...

regions of Italy. Its source is

Monte Carpegna Monte Carpegna is a mountain of Marche, 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 Medit ...

, which is in the

Montefeltro Montefeltro is a historical and geographical region in northern Italy. It gave its name to the House of Montefeltro, Montefeltro family, who ruled in the area during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The mountainous region includes San Marino ...

part of the

province of Pesaro e Urbino The province of Pesaro and Urbino (, ) is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pesaro. It also borders the state of San Marino. The province is surrounded by San Marino and Emilia Romagna in the north, Umbria and ...

. The river flows northeast near

Macerata Feltria Macerata Feltria is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about west of Ancona and about southwest of Pesaro. Macerata Feltria borders the following municipalities: Lunano, Monte C ...

and

Mercatino Conca Mercatino Conca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about northwest of Ancona and about west of Pesaro. It takes its name from the proximity of the Conca river's dry bed. Merc ...

before crossing into the

province of Rimini The province of Rimini () is the southernmost Provinces of Italy, province of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rimini, one of the "seven sisters" of the historical region of Romagna. The province borders the Adriat ...

. The river then flows past Morciano di Romagna before entering the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

southeast of

Misano Adriatico Misano Adriatico () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southeast of Rimini. Misano Adriatico borders the following municipalities: Cattolic ...

and northwest of

Cattolica Cattolica (; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Rimini, Italy, with 16,233 inhabitants as of 2007. History Archaeological excavations show that the area was already settled in ancient Rome, Roman times. According to one legend, Catto ...

History

Historically, the valley formed by the Conca has formed a buffer region between the regions of

Romagna Romagna () is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy. Etymology The name ''Romagna'' originates from the Latin name ''Romania'', which originally ...

and the

. Known as the , the river formed the boundary between the Augustan subdivisions of and

Regio VI Umbria Regio VI Umbria (also named ''Regio VI Umbria et Ager Gallicus'') is the name for one of the 11 administrative regions into which the emperor Augustus divided Italy. The main source for the regions is the '' Historia Naturalis'' of Pliny the ...

. In later centuries, the valley was frequently contested by the Byzantines,

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

, and

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

, then by the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

and various empires controlling Romagna, and more recently in territorial changes between the

Province of Rimini The province of Rimini () is the southernmost Provinces of Italy, province of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rimini, one of the "seven sisters" of the historical region of Romagna. The province borders the Adriat ...

and the

Province of Pesaro and Urbino The province of Pesaro and Urbino (, ) is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pesaro. It also borders the state of San Marino. The province is surrounded by San Marino and Emilia Romagna in the north, Umbria and ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the British and their allies defeated the Germans in a battle near the Conca. The Conca was part of the German defenses known as the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (; ) was a German and Italian defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of the Apennine Mountains du ...

. This battle took place in 1944 and was known as

Operation Olive The Gothic Line (; ) was a German and Italian defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of the Apennine Mountains du ...

References

Rivers of the Province of Pesaro and Urbino Rivers of the Province of Rimini Rivers of Italy Adriatic Italian coast basins {{Italy-river-stub