L’Italy It is a country rich in fresh water, especially in the Centre-North, where the melting of the Alpine glaciers constantly feeds large streams which, descending from the reliefs, give life to countless waterfalls. Below is a ranking of the 5 Highest Waterfalls in Italyordered from fifth to first, accompanied by some contextual information. Attentionhowever: waterfalls, both natural and artificial, can be subject to significant variations in terms of height or flow of water during the year and from one year to the next. In fact, the morphology of the territory, as well as the course of a river, can be profoundly modified in a very short time, both due to human activities (dams, construction works, land protection…) and natural phenomena (earthquakes, landslides, droughts, floods). The ranking could therefore change in the future.
5. Toce Waterfall, 143 meters (Piedmont)
There Toce waterfallalso known as “della Frua”, is located in the municipality of Formazza (Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) and is considered one of the most impressive in the entire Alpine range. In fact, it plunges downwards with a leap of 143 meters and opens a downstream front of about sixty meters horizontally. The waters of the Toce river are collected in the artificial basin created with the Morasco Damupstream of the waterfall: through a forced conduit they reach the power plant below to produce hydroelectric energy. The Toce Waterfall is therefore “harnessed” by the human hand and is opened only for short periods between June and September when it can also be observed from a panoramic terrace located upstream.
4. Marmore Falls, 165 meters (Umbria)
Near Marblea hamlet of the Municipality of Terni, is the point of confluence where the Velino River he dives into the Black River giving life to the Waterfall marmore. Let’s talk about a waterfall artificial whose first system was built by the ancient Romans in 271 BC in order to drain the water from the Rieti plain and thus reclaim the area. The current Marmore Falls is a waterfall with flow regulated: in fact, the water is released only at certain times and part of it is used to produce power hydroelectric.
The Marmore Falls make a triple leap of 165 meters and is considered one of the highest artificial waterfalls in Europe. The location is a very popular destination for tourists visiting Umbria and is immersed in a park where six different itineraries wind through woods, meadows, wetlands and walkways.
3. Verde waterfalls, over 200 meters (Abruzzo)
There Rio Verde Waterfalls Regional Nature Reserve It is a protected natural area that extends for approximately 287 hectares in the Municipality of Borrello (Chieti). The area is protected due to its great environmental value and the suggestive landscapes that open up between forests, gorges and limestone pinnacles and includes within it the Green Falls (or Rio Verde Falls), the highest perennial natural waterfalls in the entire Apennine chain.
The Green Riverwhose sources are found in the southern part of the region, not far from the border with Molise, gives rise to a waterfall with three impressive jumps for a total difference in height of over 200 meters before diving into the Sangro River. The nature reserve is open all year round and can be visited during the day to discover the local flora and fauna, such as the silver fir, the holm oak, the crayfish and the freshwater crab, the long-eared owl, the peregrine falcon and the red kite.
2. Serio Falls, 315 meters (Lombardy)
The Serio Falls are located in the heart of the Alps Orobiein the municipality of Valbondione (Province of Bergamo) and with a height of 315 meters (divided into three waterfalls, respectively 166, 74 and 75 metres) is one of the highest waterfalls in Italy.
The Serio waterfalls would be origin naturalas they are present along the course of the river of the same name. However, the Barbellino Dambuilt further upstream in the 1930s, interrupts the course of the river to feed a invaded artificial and produce hydroelectric energy. The waterfalls are “opened” 5 times a year and can always be visited by following various trekking options in theupper Seriana Valley.
1. Stroppia Falls, 500 meters (Piedmont)
The record for the highest waterfalls in Italy goes to Stroppia waterfallsin the high Valley Mayra (Province of Cuneo). From a basin between the Alpine reliefs, the waters of the lake Niera flow downwards until they encounter an impressive drop of almost 500 metersapproximately half of the tallest waterfall on the planetthe Angel Falls in Venezuela.
The waterfalls reach their maximum flow in the period between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, and then disappear during the warmer season due to the decrease in the water level of the lake above. Given their size, the Stroppia Falls are visible even from a distance from the valley that opens up further down, but a path allows you to visit them up close by literally passing under them.
