Marmore Falls is the highest waterfall in the world made by human hands

Nature truly works wonders, but the human hand can also boast of something. In Italy, it is certainly the construction of an artificial waterfall that we simply have to tell you about.

It is a real beauty, located in the very heart of Italy, more precisely in the small town of Marmore, only 8 kilometers from the city of Terni and one hour and twenty minutes from Rome.

Marmore Falls, Photo: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0

The Marmore Falls, originally named Cascata delle Marmore, are a series of cascading waterfalls that were created with the help of human intervention. They were created at the confluence of the Velino River and the Nera River by the Romans, as early as 271 BC due to the swamp located in the area of ​​today’s Rieti Valley. Wanting to get rid of the water that was collected there, they dug canals to divert it towards Nera from the edge of the Marmora cliff.

Marmore Falls, Photo: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0

As the canal was more and more neglected over the centuries, water began to appear again, so new canals were built several times. But even that was not enough because both the canal and the Nera began to submerge the valley along the river. In 1787, Pope Pius VI decided to put an end to it and, with the help of the architect Andrea Vici, changed the slopes to solve the problem. This is how its present appearance was born.

Marmore waterfalls, Photo: trolvag, CC BY-SA 3.0

Today, the Marmore Falls measures a height of 165 meters, which makes them one of the highest in Europe. It descends from 3 slopes, the longest of which is as high as 83 meters. Today, a park has been built around the falls, which has as many as 6 different sightseeing routes, and is covered with lush vegetation and, of course, the murmur of these beautiful cascades.

Marmore waterfalls, Photo: Giorgia.Carini, CC BY-SA 3.0

What is very interesting about the Marmore Falls is that they can only be visited at a specific time. In addition to being a tourist destination, the waterfalls are also used for the needs of the Galleto hydroelectric plant, so the water from the canal is diverted for their needs, which means that these waterfalls almost completely stop their water flow.

To benefit everyone, the park devised an exact schedule in which time the Marmore Falls can be visited. So, if you find yourself nearby or with the desire to visit them, you will have to go on a tour at a specific time. You can find the schedule here.

Ticket prices for visiting the waterfall and the entire park vary between 12 and 6 euros, depending on the package you choose!