| Marecchia | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Italy |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Monte dei Frati in theProvince of Arezzo |
| • elevation | 1,454 m (4,770 ft) |
| Mouth | Adriatic Sea |
• coordinates | 44°04′35″N12°33′48″E / 44.0763°N 12.5634°E /44.0763; 12.5634 |
| Length | 70 km (43 mi) |
| Basin size | 941 km2 (363 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 10.8 m3/s (380 cu ft/s) (at Pietracuta) |
TheMarecchia (pronounced[maˈrekkja]) is ariver in easternItaly, flowing from nearMonte dei Frati in theprovince of Arezzo,Tuscany, to theAdriatic Sea inRimini,Emilia-Romagna. Along its course, the river passes next to or near the settlements ofNovafeltria,Verucchio, andSantarcangelo di Romagna. It passes near theRepublic of San Marino. Among its tributaries are theSan Marino river and theAusa.
The river's valley, known as theValmarecchia, is on the border of the historic regions ofRomagna andMontefeltro. On 15 August 2009, thecomuni of the upper valley transferred from theprovince of Pesaro and Urbino, in theMarche region, to theprovince of Rimini in Emilia-Romagna.[1]
The source of the river is nearMonte dei Frati, east ofPieve Santo Stefano and southwest ofBadia Tedalda in theprovince of Arezzo,Tuscany. Flowing northeast, it includes the settlement ofNovafeltria on its left bank, and receives the Torrente Mazzocco on its right bank. It flows near Pietracuta, after which it receives theSan Marino river on its right bank, by the settlement of Torello. Continuing northeast, the river flows nearVerucchio andSantarcangelo di Romagna, after which it flows east parallel to theVia Aemilia, emptying into theAdriatic Sea inRimini.[2][3]
The river marks the boundary of severalcomuni, includingCasteldelci andSestino in the province of Arezzo, andSant'Agata Feltria,Pennabilli,Novafeltria,Maiolo,Talamello,San Leo,Poggio Torriana, andVerucchio in theprovince of Rimini,Emilia-Romagna. It passes through an exclave of Badia Tedalda, surrounded by the province of Rimini, and thecomune of Santarcangelo di Romagna.
The river was anciently called theAriminus.[4]While on his way tofight the Gothic army, the Byzantine generalNarses crossed the Marecchia on a pontoon after the leader of the Goths contesting his passage of the river was killed in a skirmish.[5] The mouth of the Marecchia is also the legendary site whereAnthony of Padua allegedly preached to the fish.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the river numbered as many as 165 water mills around inhabited settlements. The valley also numbered several gunpowder mills to house sulphur mined in the sulphur mine at Perticara.[6]
From the end of the 1920s until 1931,[7][8] the Marecchia was diverted through Rimini to empty further north.[7] On 8 April 1944, as part of theFragheto massacre, seven partisans and a civilian were shot by members of the Venezia-Giulia Battalion of theNational Republican Guard at the confluence of the Senatello stream with the Marecchia.[9][10] The bridge over the Marecchia, at the time named Ponte Carrattoni,[10] was renamed the Bridge of the Eight Martyrs (Ponte degli Otto Martiri).[10][11]
From the 1960s, theAusa was diverted to empty into the Marecchia, having previously emptied into the Adriatic Sea further east.[12] The diversion was completed in 1972.[13]
On 15 August 2009, thecomuni of the upper valley transferred from theprovince of Pesaro and Urbino, in theMarche region, to theprovince of Rimini in Emilia-Romagna.[1]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
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 | This Marche location article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | This article on a location inEmilia–Romagna is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
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