Marmore Waterfalls

The natural spectacle of Marmore Waterfalls – 165-meter-high jumps – is definitely one of the most impressive and interesting in Europe, as well as the tallest man-made waterfall in the world.

The Roman consul Manlius Curius Dentatus ordered the construction of a canal (the Curiano Trench) to divert the stagnant waters to the natural cliff at Marmore (Cascate delle Marmore in Italian) in 271 BC, in order to carry the water of the River Velino into the river Nera below. At that time the work was heralded as a great event and certainly contributed to strengthen the prestige of Rome among the inhabitants of Umbria, recently conquered. (It also helped to alleviate some disease caused by the stagnant water.) But the popular imagination prefers to give it a mythological origin: according to the legend, the nymph Nera had fallen in love with a shepherd, Velino, but Juno as a punishment for that love story, transformed her into a river, the Nera. Velino, anguished, threw himself down from the Marmore cliff in order to be united with his beloved: that mortal jump would continue for eternity.

Whoever visits Cascate delle Marmore has the opportunity not only to take some great trekking paths to admire lovely natural travertine grottoes and reach overlooks like the "Balcone degli Innamorati" (balcony of the lovers) and "Giardino Botanico" (botanical garden), rich in spontaneous flora, but also access the several other panoramic points to the heart of the Cascata. But wait, there's more! Because the falls are used as a hydroelectric plant (for more than a century) they are also TURNED ON AND OFF! That's right, you can actual witness the falls being shut off - and/or the flow of water being started up, on a daily basis! (Check the website, which gives not only the hours of the park itself but the flow of water! The "rilascio dell'acqua" is the on and off times!)

Cascate delle Marmore is also ideal to enjoy water sports like rafting, kayak and canyoning: the several sport centres in the area offer guided tours in order to experience different levels, for beginners and kids or more expert level enthusiasts.

Along its route there is are luxuriant vegetation of willow trees, holm-oaks, alders, oak trees, maples and beeches and a great water fauna. You will find the falls at 7 Km from Terni, whose electric, electrochemical, iron and steel industry fields are fed by the water energy.