The waterfall created by the Romans
A few kilometres east of Terni, in the Valnerina, the Cascata delle Marmore is one of the highest waterfalls in Europe and one of the most spectacular natural sights in Italy, with a total drop of about 165 metres in three jumps, through which the waters of the Velino river plunge into the valley of the Nera, among dense vegetation, rocks and clouds of spray that create rainbows in the sun. But it is not entirely natural: it was created by the Romans in 271 BC, when the consul Manius Curius Dentatus had a channel dug to drain the marshes of the Rieti plain, flooded by the Velino, diverting its waters over the cliff of Marmore into the Nera. Over the centuries, the channel was modified several times, also because of the disputes between Rieti and Terni over the floods.
Today the waters of the Velino are also used to produce hydroelectric power, so the waterfall flows at full capacity only at certain times, according to a timetable that varies with the seasons, announced by a siren; at other times, only a small amount of water flows. The waterfall can be admired from two viewpoints, the Belvedere Superiore, at the top, and the Belvedere Inferiore, at the bottom, connected by paths through the woods that climb along the falls, passing natural caves and viewpoints, such as the "Balcone degli Innamorati", the Lovers' Balcony, a small terrace reached through a tunnel, right under the jump, where you get soaked by the spray. The waterfall has inspired poets and painters, including Lord Byron, who described it in "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage". The area is also used for rafting and canyoning on the Nera.
Tip: check the opening times of the water on the official website; bring a raincoat for the Balcone degli Innamorati.
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