Land Drainage Creates the Tallest Man Made Waterfall

We explore this remarkable feat of Roman civil engineering called The Cascata Delle Marmore (Marmore’s Falls); the tallest man made waterfall in the world.

Why the Romans Created Marmore’s Falls

During the Roman Empire, Lake Velinus lay in the heart of the Sabine Mountains. The lake was stagnant and the marshy areas became breeding grounds for malaria and other diseases, giving the lake a dangerous reputation.

In 271AD, The Roman Consul, Manius Curius Dentatus, ordered the marshy Lake Velinus to be drained in order to create fertile soil for agriculture. The works involved the creation of a large canal called the Curian Trench. This diverted the stagnant waters to the edge of the natural cliff at Marmore village, creating Marmore’s Falls.

This remarkable and daring feat of engineering has created a waterfall that is 165m (541ft) tall and cascades in three prominent sections, the tallest and top section is 83m (272ft) high.

Improved Agriculture

Once drained, the area became known as the Reiti Valley and proved to be so fertile that it was nicknamed “the granary of Rome”. The Roman poet, Virgil wrote that ‘if a stick was planted in a field (in the Reiti Valley), it could not be seen on the day after, as the grass had grown up around it.’

The Popes in the Middle Ages

The Roman canal was not maintained and as it silted up, the marshes and disease once again populated the area. In 1422, Pope Gregory XII ordered the construction of a new canal (the Gregorian trench) to restore flow and reduce disease.

In 1545, Pope Paul III ordered a new trench to be built (the Pauline trench) to extend the original Curian trench. He ordered Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, a famous Italian architect, to manage the works but Antonio died of malaria before the work was completed.

In 1596, Pope Clement VIII ordered Giovanni Fontana to finish the canal. Upon its completion in 1598, Pope Clement inaugurated the works and named the trench after himself: the Clementine trench.

In 1787, Pope Pius VI ordered that the falls themselves be modified in order to prevent flooding in the valley below.

A Grand Tour Spectacle

The Marmore Falls became a regular highlight on The Grand Tour – a traditional trip around Europe taken by the upper class between 1600’s and 1900’s. It also became a favourite of poets and artists from all over the world.

The Falls Today

Today, water is diverted from the falls to a hydroelectric power plant, causing the water flow to reduce to a trickle a majority of the time. Twice a day, for the tourists, the water is redirected back over the cliffs from 12-1pm and again at 4-5pm every day. An alarm is sounded first then the gates are slowly opened. This is a major tourist attraction and the area around the falls has walkways, cafes and visitor facilities.