Adige
The Adige River (in Italian, Adige; in German and South Tyrolean dialect, Etsch; in Ladin, Adiç; in Trentino dialect, Ades; in Venetian, Adexe; in Latin, Athesis) is a river in northeastern Italy, which it runs through the Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto regions and flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is 409 km long (making it the second longest river in Italy, after the Po River) and drains a basin of 12,100 km².
Geography
It rises at the Reschenscheideck (Resia Pass) near Lake Resia in the upper Val Venosta in South Tyrol, near the borders of Switzerland and Austria, and empties into the sea Adriatic south of the city of Chioggia.
Its basin drains 12,100 km², is the third largest after the Po and Tiber, and includes the Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto regions, as well as a small part in Swiss territory. Most of this basin (7,200 km²) is located in South Tyrol, through whose territory it runs for 140 km (more than 1/3 of its total length).
From its source to the city of Merano, the river valley is called the Venosta Valley; then, from Merano to Rovereto, it is renamed the Adige Valley; from Rovereto to Verona, Lagarina valley and finally from Verona to the mouth, Val Padana.
Tributaries
Its main tributaries are the following rivers:
- river Rom (Ram), with a length of 24.7 km that dewaters near Glorenza;
- River Passirio (Passer), with a length of 42.6 km that runs near Merano;
- River Isarco (Eisack), with a length of 95.5 km that runs near Bolzano;
- river Noce, with a length of 105 km that dewaters near Mezzocorona;
- Avisio river, with a length of 89.4 km that runs near Lavis;
- River Fersina, with a length of 30 km that dewaters near Trento;
- River Leno, with a length of 18 km that dewaters near Rovereto.
Localities it crosses
Main cities it passes through on its route:
- Train
- Verona, crosses it with soft meanders; the main bridges that cross are the Stone of the 1st century and the 14th century Scaligero.
- Legnago;
- Cavarzere;
- Chioggia.
In addition, the river borders Merano, Bolzano and Rovereto.
History
The Adige River runs in its lower course above its alluvial plain, separated from it by high ridges on both sides of the channel. It has been the protagonist of some devastating floods, since if its waters overflow they flood farmland and populations that are below its level. There is news of several phenomena of this type in the past: among the most recent and serious, it is worth highlighting the floods of 1882, 1966 and 1981.
In September 1882 the river levees were breached at nine points between Bolzano and San Michele all'Adige. In addition, the northern part of the city of Trento was flooded.
In November 1966, Trento experienced the biggest flood in its recent history: a good part of the city and about 5,000 hectares of countryside were submerged by about 2 m of water.
In July 1981, levees gave way around Salorno, which was flooded along with surrounding land.
To save the city of Verona from possible flooding, in the first half of the XX century a tunnel was built connecting the Adige as it passes through Mori with Lake Garda, in order to direct excess water from the river to the lake. It was used during the 1966 flood.