Friday, September 13, 2019

ITALY ~ Marmore Falls - Terni - Umbria ~

... Wonderful view of an amazing mighty "manmade" waterfall... the highest of its kind in Europe.... although the waterfalls are a human construction, it is a great demonstration of the forces of nature.... the 165 metre high waterfall cascades over three sections, with the first drop at 83 metres being the highest... built by the Romans more than 2000 years ago😲... there are views of the cascade at various vantage points... today the water flow is controlled by a hydroelectric dam and is only in full flow for a few hours at a time to satisfy the needs of tourists and the power company... at night-time, the show is even more breath-taking, since the waterfall is illuminated by a LED system which makes it a truly unique experience... it is also an ideal place for water sports like rafting and kayaking... Thanks so much Gian Luca and Raffaella for 5 fantastic postcards!!¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The waterfalls were created in 3rd century BC on the orders of Curio Dentato. The valley was a swamp and stagnant, to fix the problem Dentato created a canal called Cava Curiana, this had the water from the River Velino cascade over the cliff into the River Nera below.

The waterfalls were altered and restored with canals for better water flow between the 15th and 18thC with the current look being created in the 18thC.

The Marmore Falls take their name from the calcium carbonate salts present in the rocks, which make them very similar to marble.

Stamp:

Matera - European Capital of Culture
(Issued 04-03-2019)

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