Marecchia

Coordinates: 44°04′35″N 12°33′48″E / 44.0763°N 12.5634°E / 44.0763; 12.5634
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Marecchia
Location
CountryItaly
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationMonte dei Frati in the Province of Arezzo
 • elevation1,454 m (4,770 ft)
MouthAdriatic Sea
 • coordinates
44°04′35″N 12°33′48″E / 44.0763°N 12.5634°E / 44.0763; 12.5634
Length70 km (43 mi)
Basin size941 km2 (363 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average10.8 m3/s (380 cu ft/s) (at Pietracuta)
The Ponte di Tiberio crosses the Marecchia's former route in Rimini

The Marecchia (pronounced [maˈrekkja]) is a river in eastern Italy, flowing from near Monte dei Frati in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, to the Adriatic Sea in Rimini, Emilia-Romagna. Along its course, the river passes next to or near the settlements of Novafeltria, Verucchio, and Santarcangelo di Romagna. It passes near the Republic of San Marino. Among its tributaries are the San Marino river and the Ausa.

The river's valley, known as the Valmarecchia, is on the border of the historic regions of

comuni of the upper valley transferred from the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the Marche region, to the province of Rimini in Emilia-Romagna.[1]

Route

The source of the river is near Monte dei Frati, east of Pieve Santo Stefano and southwest of Badia Tedalda in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany. Flowing northeast, it includes the settlement of Novafeltria on its left bank, and receives the Torrente Mazzocco on its right bank. It flows near Pietracuta, after which it receives the San Marino river on its right bank, by the settlement of Torello. Continuing northeast, the river flows near Verucchio and Santarcangelo di Romagna, after which it flows east parallel to the Via Aemilia, emptying into the Adriatic Sea in Rimini.[2][3]

The river marks the boundary of several

. It passes through an exclave of Badia Tedalda, surrounded by the province of Rimini, and the comune of Santarcangelo di Romagna.

History

The river was anciently called the Ariminus.[4] While on his way to fight the Gothic army, the Byzantine general Narses crossed the Marecchia on a pontoon after the leader of the Goths contesting his passage of the river was killed in a skirmish.[5] The mouth of the Marecchia is also the legendary site where Anthony of Padua allegedly preached to the fish.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the river numbered as many as 165 water mills around inhabited settlements. The valley also numbered several gunpowder mills to house sulphur mined in the sulphur mine at Perticara.[6]

From the end of the 1920s until 1931,[7][8] the Marecchia was diverted through Rimini to empty further north.[7] From the 1960s, the Ausa was diverted to empty into the Marecchia, having previously emptied into the Adriatic Sea further east.[9] The diversion was completed in 1972.[10]

On 15 August 2009, the

comuni of the upper valley transferred from the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the Marche region, to the province of Rimini in Emilia-Romagna.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Legge 3 agosto 2009, n. 117" [Law of 3 August 2009, no. 117]. Italian Parliament (in Italian). 3 August 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
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  6. ^ "Novalfeltria, mostra per ritrovare i 165 mulini della Valmarecchia" [Novalfeltria: Exhibition to discover the 165 mills of Valmarecchia]. Chiamamicitta (in Italian). 21 January 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  7. ^ a b Conti, Enea (4 September 2021). "Rimini, il Ponte di Tiberio compie duemila anni: è fra quelli più belli del mondo" [Rimini's Ponte di Tiberio celebrates two hundred years: it's among the most beautiful in the world]. Corriere di Bologna (in Italian). Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  8. ^ Angelini, Manuela (4 October 2016). "Sotto il Ponte di Tiberio la storia scorre ancora" [Under the Ponte di Tiberio, history still flows]. Corriere Romagna (in Italian). Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Parco Ausa" [Ausa Park] (in Italian). Ecomuseo Rimini. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  10. ^ "7 agosto 1763 - La burrasca spazza via tutte le barche nel porto di Rimini" [7 August 1763 – The storm sweeps away all the boats in the port of Rimini]. Chiamami Città (in Italian). 7 August 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.