Marmore Falls is located about 7.5 km far from Terni, in Umbria and ir is an artificial waterfall among the highest in Europe, backed up by a vertical drop of 165 meters in three jumps.
They are located in Valnerina and are formed by the river Velino that near the village of Marmore flows from Lake Piediluco and dives with a roar in the underlying gorge of River Nera, a tributary of the Tiber.
Nowadays Marmore waterfall are intensely exploited for the production of electricity.
This means that the cascade is not constantly running, but for most of the time is reduced to the size of a stream.
To adjust the operation of the plant and ensure the vision to visitors, the waterfall is operated at maximum capacity ensuring a spectacular effect: between 12.00 and 13.00 and between 16.00 and 17.00 (times change in different months of the year).
A sound advises of the opening of the floodgates of regulation, and the small stream becomes in a few minutes a roaring river.
Within the tourism Hiking Waterfalls Marmore it is also possible to follow various paths:
some belong to the botanical gardens and offer the opportunity to admire the main species of spontaneous flora including poplars, willows, beeches, and many rare plants finding here their natural habitat;
others enable visitors to admire the natural caves carved in travertine and through a tunnel to reach the balcony of Lovers on the first jump of the waterfall, about 90 meters high;
some other offer views of the rapids and waterfalls, reaching to touch the water, or through a path with stairs provide access to view points arranged at different heights.
Marmora falls since the early seventeenth century assumed a key role in European culture, striking the imagination of travellers, artists, illustrators and poets. Their rainbow is still considered among the wonders of Italy.
