The Foglia (also called Isauro, e.g. in Belforte all'Isauro) is the northernmost river of 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, ...

region of

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 ...

. In ancient times it was known as ''Pisaurus'', as it debouched into 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 ...

at ''Pisaurum'' (modern

Pesaro Pesaro (; ) is a (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, capital of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the ...

). It was also known as the ''Isaurus''. The source of the river is west of Sestino in the

province of Arezzo The province of Arezzo () is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Arezzo. The province is bordered by the regions of Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, and the provinces Siena and Florence of Tuscany. It has an area ...

(which is in the

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

region of Italy) in the Umbrian-Marchean Apennines mountains. It flows east through an extension 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 ...

and then back into Arezzo before forming the border between Arezzo and Pesaro e Urbino. The river then flows into the province of Pesaro e Urbino past Piandimeleto and curves northeast and flows past Sassocorvaro before curving east again. The river meanders south of Montecalvo in Foglia before curving northeast and flowing near Colbordolo,

Saludecio Saludecio () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, about southeast of Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. I ...

Sant'Angelo in Lizzola Sant'Angelo in Lizzola is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune '' of Vallefoglia in the province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italy, Italian region Marche. It was a separate comune until 2013. The main parish church is the former collegiate church of San ...

Montecchio Montecchio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria, located about 50 km south of Perugia and about 30 km northwest of Terni. Montecchio borders the following municipalities: Avigliano Umbro ...

, Montelabbate and Tavullia before entering the

near

. A personification of the river was etched by Simone Cantarini.

History

The river, originally known as ''Isaurus'', marked the boundary of the territory of the Piceni Italic tribe. It was the part of 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 ...

and the battle of Rimini in 1944, during World War II.

References

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