28 January 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Marmore, the Highest and Oldest Artificial Waterfall in Europe, Created by the Romans

Approximately eight kilometers away from the town of Terni in Umbria, Italy, there is a waterfall that is one of the highest waterfalls in Europe: Cascata delle Marmore or the Marmore’s Falls. However, it’s not some natural wonder, it’s a work of ancient Roman engineering!

In reality, this waterfall is not natural. The waterfall is the world’s tallest man-made waterfall, standing 541 feet tall (165 meters). Its towering presence is a 2,000-year-old testament to human engineering.

Romans created in 271 BC the former hydraulic system and the shape of the waterfall. During the Roman era, the River Velino had become vastly enlarged and had created a vast swathe of swamp-like, stagnant water. This unhealthy wetland brought disease to residents and caused a threat to the city of Rieti.

To fix the issue, Manlius Carius Dentatus, the Roman consul, ordered workers to construct a canal that would send the water soaring over a nearby cliff and down into the Nera River, which flowed through the valley below.

The stagnant water then fell into the Nera River but that unfortunately created another problem. When the Velino River overflowed, its water moved through the Nera and towards the city of Terni and threatened the safety of the residents.

The Roman senate was forced to step in over the escalating tensions over water management between the lowland and highland residents in 54 BC, despite the fact that their intervention ultimately achieved nothing.

For centuries, little was done to address the problem, which caused contention. It took two attempts to build new canals to address the problem of overflowing stagnant water, but it wasn’t until 1787 that Pope Pius VI gave Andrea Vici, a prominent French-Italian architectural dynasty, the order to alter the canal, giving it the lofty, cascading appearance it has today and solving the issue at last.

Photo: Wikipedia

Finally, in the late 1700s, the falls were given their present look and by the late 1800s, with the Industrial Revolution, were being used to generate power for the steel mills in Terni.

From the second half of the nineteenth century, this region underwent a revolutionary change, from the use of hydraulic energy as a driving force for factories to the creation and development of the large industrial center in Terni: the region was transformed and developed into a city thanks to impressive infrastructures.

Today, the Marmore Falls are still used for hydroelectric power while also serving as a tourist attraction. At scheduled times, 165 meters (541 feet) of sheer power crashes down to amaze visitors. Summertime is the best time to visit the falls because they are open at night and feature a spectacular LED light display to accompany the rushing water.

The park itself is amazing and contains numerous trails and botanical gardens as well as a lake. The city of Terni is also completely worth visiting.

It is important to check the official website for the exact times that the park will be open as well as the scheduled times for the falls since it varies from month to month.

It is important to check the official website for the exact times that the park will be open as well as the scheduled times for the falls since it varies from month to month.

Cover Photo: Italy by Events

Related Articles

Digs at Turkey’s Seyitömer mound reveals thousands of artworks

20 March 2022

20 March 2022

Approximately 14,500 artifacts have been unearthed during rescue excavations carried out over 33 years at Seyitömer Mound in Turkey’s western...

Remains of a Roman stylobate found in Montenegro

19 July 2023

19 July 2023

In ancient Rhizon (Risan) in Montenegro, remains of a Roman stylobate (a shared base for multiple columns) were uncovered. In...

11,000-Year-Old LSU Campus Mounds Are Oldest Known Human-Made Structures In North America

23 August 2022

23 August 2022

According to new research published in the American Journal of Science, two six-meter (20-foot) high mounds on the campus of...

“Secret” Excavations in Luxembourg Reveal 141 Roman Gold Coins from Nine Roman Emperors

13 January 2025

13 January 2025

Archaeologists uncovered a Roman gold coin hoard of 141 Roman gold coins dating to the second half of the 4th...

“One of the outstanding discoveries of recent decades”: Gold coin reveals unknown British King

20 October 2023

20 October 2023

New light has been shed on a little-known part of British history thanks to the extraordinary discovery of a coin...

5,700-Year-old Ancient “Chewing Gum” Gives Information About People and Bacteria of the Past

4 April 2021

4 April 2021

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have successfully extracted the complete human genome from “chewing gum” thousands of years ago....

A Celtiberian city more than 2000 years old found in Spain

16 July 2023

16 July 2023

The Polytechnic University of Madrid announced the discovery of a Roman camp and the Celtiberian city of Titiakos in the...

Mustatil Structures in Arabia May Be 7,000-Year-Old Stone Remnants of Cattle Cult

1 May 2021

1 May 2021

Archaeologists examining the mustatil stone remains in the northwest of Arabia think that these stone remains may have been used...

Archaeologists Find 11 Sealed Middle Kingdom Burials Full of Jewelry in Luxor, Egypt

4 November 2024

4 November 2024

The South Asasif Conservation Project, an Egyptian-American mission working under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, has...

World’s Largest Geoglyphs Found in the Thar Desert

29 May 2021

29 May 2021

A massive spiral encompassing 100,000 square meters unearthed in the Indian desert may be the greatest drawing ever drawn. The...

Archaeologists have uncovered oldest Roman forum in Hispania, at the site of a named unknown city

3 September 2023

3 September 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Roman forum from more than 2,000 years ago at the site of an unknown city...

Parts of the City of the old city of Ghadames called the pearl of the desert collapsed due to rainfall

28 January 2022

28 January 2022

Some parts of the Old City of Ghadames, located in an oasis about 600km southwest of Tripoli near Libya’s border...

8,500-year-old marble statuette found in Çatalhöyük

28 December 2021

28 December 2021

In the 29th season of the excavations in Çatalhöyük, one of the first urbanization models in Anatolia, in the Çumra...

Unique Gems found in Claterna, known as the ‘Pompeii of the North’

18 November 2023

18 November 2023

Italian archaeologists have unearthed 50 unique jewels during ongoing excavations at Claterna, the ancient Roman site known as the ‘Pompeii...

6th Century Anglo-Saxon Warriors May Have Fought in Northern Syria

7 July 2024

7 July 2024

Researchers have suggested compelling evidence that Anglo-Saxon warriors from late sixth-century Britain participated in Byzantine military campaigns in the eastern...