Monday 19 January 2015

Marmore Falls, Tallest Man-Made Waterfall in Italy



The gorgeous marmore’s falls (Cascata delle Marmore) is actually a tallest man-made waterfall in Italy. It is created by the ancient romans, can be found 7.7 kilometers from Terni, a provincial capital of the Italian region of Umbria. The fall total height is 541 feet making it one of the tallest in Italy and in Europe as well. Of its three sections, the top section is 272 feet. The waterfall source is a portion of the waters of the river Velino however, the rest of the river flows into a hydroelectric power plant, after flowing through Piediluco Lake near the community of Marmore.

It pours into the valley below formed by the river Nera. Its flow is turned on and off according to a published schedule, to satisfy the requirements of sightseers and the power company equally. Travelers try to be there the moment the gates are opened to see the powerful rush of water. Moreover, most of the time, the water in the canals above the falls is sidetracked to a hydroelectric power plant; hence the flow in the falls themselves is reduced to the level of a creek. Piediluco Lake, above the falls, is used as a reservoir for the power plant.

The Galleto power plant, well built in 1929, is architecturally interesting. Its maximum capacity is around 530 MW. Therefore to control the operation of the power plant, and to satisfy visitors, the fall is turned on according to a set schedule, attaining a remarkable effect at full flow. Moreover there’s an alarm is sounded first, then the gates are opened, and in a few minutes the small creek is transformed into a full-sized river rushing into the void below.

Usually, the waterfall is turned on between 12:00 and 1:00 PM and again between 4:00 and 5:00 PM every day, with extra times on holidays. Make sure, an entrance fee is charged to visit the falls and the surrounding area. A beautiful path along the falls let visitors to hike up to the top of falls. Along the way, a tunnel leads to an observatory just next to the falls, where a tourist is guaranteed to get soaked. A safer observatory near the top affords a grandiose view of the falls and of the Nera valley below.

In ancient times, Velino river flows through the surround of highland of city of Rieti. It fed a wetland that was thought to bring illness, perhaps from Malaria. To risk free the city of Reiti in 271 BC, there’s a plan to construct a canal to divert the stagnant waters into the natural cliff at Marmore. This option generated a different problem to City of Terni, when flood water of Velino River flowed and threatening its inhabitants. However with the passage of time, the poor maintenance in the canal resulted in a decrease in the flow, until eventually the wetland started to reappear.

In 1422, a new canal was planned to construct to restore the original flow. However, the presence of canal creating lot of problems over next two centuries, and then in 1787, it modify to leaps below the falls, and giving the falls its present look and finally resolving the major of the issues. Moreover please be noted, that large and free car parks available both at Upper and Lower Belvedere. It is very imperative, you should check the opening hours of water released before arranging the visit. A lot of children facilities available there, along with suitable family activities i.e. cave visit, night visits, botanical visits, and much more.

If you’re requiring more adventure, then there’re rafting, canoeing and canyoning opportunities, soft Rafting, open to all, including children and non-swimmers; Hydrospeed-soft, surrounded by nature, in full contact with the river and helped by a “bob water” you can go down the soft stretch of the Black River in thorough safety, at all times accompanied by a guide; Tubing-soft, another fun way to get down the stretch soft, slightly above the water level and self-reliantly supported by a guide that explains the trajectories. Charismatic Planet

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