Isthmus of Catanzaro
Encyclopedia
The Isthmus
of Catanzaro (or Isthmus of Marcellinara
, also called Saddle of Catanzaro or Saddle of Marcellinara due to its morphology) is the narrow strip of land separating the Ionian Sea
from the Tyrrhenian Sea
, and is also the narrowest part of the Italian Peninsula
.
and the northern part of the Calabrian Serre
. The valley between the two mountain ranges is approximately 2 kilometres wide in its narrowest point, and it opens wide to form the Piana di Sant'Eufemia on the west side, and the valley of Corace to the east, reaching the seas at both sides. South of Marcellinara is the Sella di Marcellinara (Saddle of Marcellinara), the lowest and narrowest point of the Calabrian Apennine, at an height of 250 metres ca.
From the high grounds of the Calabrian Apennine, in the towns of Tiriolo
, Marcellinara
and Catanzaro, it is possible to have a panoramic view of the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas at the same time. The Itshmus is crossed by two seasonal rivers: the Amato and the Corace. Both have their springs from the Plateau of Sila and, after running parallel, separated by about two kilometres, they separate near the hills of Gimigliano. The Amato descends the valley westwards, ending its run in Tyrrhenian Sea, whereas the Corace goes eastwards to the Ionian Sea.
During fascism, the construction of a channel to connect the Ionian to the Tyrrhenian has been advanced several times.
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
of Catanzaro (or Isthmus of Marcellinara
Marcellinara
Marcellinara is a comune and town in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:Marcellinara is located in the middle of the slimmest area of Italy with only 50 km from east to west located close to...
, also called Saddle of Catanzaro or Saddle of Marcellinara due to its morphology) is the narrow strip of land separating the Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
from the Tyrrhenian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
, and is also the narrowest part of the Italian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
.
Characteristics
The Isthmus is approximately 30 kilometres long and is situated in the lowlands between the south end of the Calabrian Apennine MountainsApennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
and the northern part of the Calabrian Serre
Serre calabresi
The Serre Calabresi or Calabrian Serre are a mountain and hill area of Calabria, southern Italy, characterized by large extents of woods....
. The valley between the two mountain ranges is approximately 2 kilometres wide in its narrowest point, and it opens wide to form the Piana di Sant'Eufemia on the west side, and the valley of Corace to the east, reaching the seas at both sides. South of Marcellinara is the Sella di Marcellinara (Saddle of Marcellinara), the lowest and narrowest point of the Calabrian Apennine, at an height of 250 metres ca.
From the high grounds of the Calabrian Apennine, in the towns of Tiriolo
Tiriolo
Tiriolo is a town and comune in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:The town is bordered by Catanzaro, Gimigliano, Marcellinara, Miglierina, San Pietro Apostolo and Settingiano....
, Marcellinara
Marcellinara
Marcellinara is a comune and town in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:Marcellinara is located in the middle of the slimmest area of Italy with only 50 km from east to west located close to...
and Catanzaro, it is possible to have a panoramic view of the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas at the same time. The Itshmus is crossed by two seasonal rivers: the Amato and the Corace. Both have their springs from the Plateau of Sila and, after running parallel, separated by about two kilometres, they separate near the hills of Gimigliano. The Amato descends the valley westwards, ending its run in Tyrrhenian Sea, whereas the Corace goes eastwards to the Ionian Sea.
History
According to classical accounts, during the Rebellion of the Slaves guided by Spartacus, general Marcus Licinius Crassus decided to fortify the Isthmus by mean of a wall, in order to block their offensive and cut supplies.During fascism, the construction of a channel to connect the Ionian to the Tyrrhenian has been advanced several times.