Photos of the Awe Inspiring Roman Marmore Falls & Waterfall

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Photos of the Awe Inspiring Roman Marmore Falls (Cascata delle Marmore) & waterfall, Italy. Roman made waterfall in In 271 BC. Roman made waterfall in In 271 BC. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams. (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Awe Inspiring Roman Marmore Falls (Cascata delle Marmore)

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Photos of the Marmore Falls (Cascata delle Marmore) near Terni, Umbria.

Malaria Problem in the City of Reiti

In 271 BC The Roman Senate decided to solve the illness caused by malaria in the city of Reiti by draining a nearby lake and it’s surrounding swamps. To do this a drainage canal, known as the Curiano Trench, was dug which ended at the cliffs of Marmore.

When completed the water from the upland lake and swamps flowed into the canal and over the cliffs at Marmore creating one of the highest man made waterfalls in Europe.

The Inspirational Roman Marmore Falls

The falls descend in 3 drops a total of 165 m (541 feet) into the Nera river below. the highest waterfall is 83 m (272 feet).

It is incredible to think that an awe inspiring sight like Marmore Falls was man made. People have marvelled at its beauty for the last 2000 years. The Marmore Falls made their artistic debut in as a backdrop in Virgil’s epic poem the Aeneid (Circa 19 BC). In the middle Ages the falls were described in Dante’s Paradise. Later Marmore Falls inspired Byron and they were included in his poem “Pilgrimage of Child Harold”.

Today the Cascata delle Marmore does not flow all the time. Its water flow is controlled by a hydro electric power station and at certain times of the year the water only flows for a few hours at a time.