The natural power of Italy's Marmore waterfall

Over the course of centuries, continuous water flow has eroded the crumbly rock around Marmore and created almost 300 grottos and caves, a true Italian fun-park for lovers of caving and rock climbing. The first tier of the water's cascade is called the lovers' balcony, probably because only a person blinded by love would have the courage to lean out over its ledge.

The explosive energy of the Marmore waterfall, in Umbria's south, awakened the attention of numerous distinguished literati, who celebrated the falls' immeasurable beauty in their writing. English poet Lord Byron, during one of his many pilgrimages to Italy, remained enraptured by the spectacle of the falls, describing them as "a roar of water...swift as the light".

It's surprising to learn that the Marmore waterfall is actually an example of ancient Roman hydraulic design. In 261 B.C., Roman Consul Curio Dentato conceived a project to channel the water of the Velino river, up on the mountain's plain, into the excavated throat of the Nero river, down below. Thus the Marmore cascade is of manmade design and the tallest of its kind in the world.

Given the enormous amount of energy that has since been generated by the falls, the plan was intuitive brilliance on the part of those Romans! Still today the Umbrian city of Terni and its neighbouring suburbs have an economy based on hydroelectricity and the related iron and steel industry - an example of how great works of the past can construct precious resources for future generations.