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