Margorabbia
Encyclopedia
The Margorabbia is a ‘torrent’—or intermittent stream—of the province of Varese
in north Italy
’s Lombardy
, a tributary of the Tresa
which it joins a few hundred metres upstream of Lake Maggiore
.
The source is near Valganna
. After forming a number of small lakes, including Lago di Ganna
and Lago di Ghirla
, its course continues through the Prealps of Varese until near Cunardo
it is swallowed up by a system of caves: Pont Niv, Antro dei Morti, Grotte di Villa Radaelli and Grotte del Traforo.
It emerges from underground near Ferrera di Varese
and runs through the Valtravaglia crossing the valley’s communes
of Grantola
, Mesenzana
and Germignaga
. A cycle path has recently been constructed along this part of the river.
The torrent has many affluent
s. The most important left side tributaries are the Rancina, the Boesio and the Gesone; from the right it receives the waters of the Boggione, the Lisascora and the Grantorella.
Thanks to the wet and karst
ic areas it traverses, the Margorabbia has a generally high discharge
and dries up far less frequently than many torrents. These feature made it a useful source of power for the mill
s and factories which grew up along its banks. The power hammer
s of Ghirla in the commune of Valganna are particularly well known.
The river is subject to sudden and dramatic increases in its flow, becoming truly ‘torrential’. Very often bridges have been destroyed, or it has broken its banks and caused severe flooding in the Valtraviglia. Today many artificial embankments have been constructed along the Margorabbia for the purposes of flood protection.
, who was born in Luino
on Lake Maggiore, in his story Quando cominciò il mercato di Luino.
Province of Varese
The Province of Varese is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Varese but its largest city is Busto Arsizio....
in north Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
’s Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, a tributary of the Tresa
Tresa
The river Tresa leaves Lake Lugano at a point between Lavena Ponte Tresa in Italy and Ponte Tresa in Switzerland and flows into Lake Maggiore near Luino, a few hundred metres after joining the Margorabbia...
which it joins a few hundred metres upstream of Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest of Italy and largest of southern Switzerland. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great prealpine lakes of Italy, it extends for about 70 km between Locarno and Arona.The climate is mild...
.
The source is near Valganna
Valganna
Valganna is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km northwest of Milan and about 13 km north of Varese. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,506 and an area of 12.5 km²...
. After forming a number of small lakes, including Lago di Ganna
Lago di Ganna
Lago di Ganna is a lake at Valganna in the Province of Varese, Lombardy, Italy....
and Lago di Ghirla
Lago di Ghirla
Lago di Ghirla is a lake at Valganna in the Province of Varese, Lombardy, Italy.Basically it is a lake in Italy. In some pictures there is snow on the lake so obviously it is somewhere where it is cold sometimes....
, its course continues through the Prealps of Varese until near Cunardo
Cunardo
Cunardo is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km northwest of Milan and about 13 km north of Varese....
it is swallowed up by a system of caves: Pont Niv, Antro dei Morti, Grotte di Villa Radaelli and Grotte del Traforo.
It emerges from underground near Ferrera di Varese
Ferrera di Varese
Ferrera di Varese is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km northwest of Milan and about 14 km northwest of Varese...
and runs through the Valtravaglia crossing the valley’s communes
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Grantola
Grantola
Grantola is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km northwest of Milan and about 15 km north of Varese...
, Mesenzana
Mesenzana
Mesenzana is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km northwest of Milan and about 15 km northwest of Varese...
and Germignaga
Germignaga
Germignaga is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 70 km northwest of Milan and about 20 km northwest of Varese...
. A cycle path has recently been constructed along this part of the river.
The torrent has many affluent
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
s. The most important left side tributaries are the Rancina, the Boesio and the Gesone; from the right it receives the waters of the Boggione, the Lisascora and the Grantorella.
Thanks to the wet and karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
ic areas it traverses, the Margorabbia has a generally high discharge
Discharge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
and dries up far less frequently than many torrents. These feature made it a useful source of power for the mill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s and factories which grew up along its banks. The power hammer
Power hammer
Power hammers are mechanical forging hammers that use a non-muscular power source to raise the hammer preparatory to striking, and accelerate it onto the work being hammered...
s of Ghirla in the commune of Valganna are particularly well known.
The river is subject to sudden and dramatic increases in its flow, becoming truly ‘torrential’. Very often bridges have been destroyed, or it has broken its banks and caused severe flooding in the Valtraviglia. Today many artificial embankments have been constructed along the Margorabbia for the purposes of flood protection.
The Margorabbia in literature
The river was mentioned by the writer Piero ChiaraPiero Chiara
Piero Chiara was an Italian writer.He was born in Luino, on Lake Maggiore into a family of Sicilian origin. Sought by the Fascist milice during World War II, he fled to Switzerland in 1944...
, who was born in Luino
Luino
Luino is a small town and comune near the border with Switzerland on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the Province of Varese ....
on Lake Maggiore, in his story Quando cominciò il mercato di Luino.