San Bernardino (torrent)
Encyclopedia
The San Bernardino is a torrent which flows through the Italian
Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
and into Lake Maggiore
at Verbania
on the Piedmont
ese (western) shore of the lake.
The origins of its name lie with the Franciscan
convent of San Bernardino which was established in 1483 near the mouth of the river, between Intra and Pallanza. The buildings are no longer extant.
comprises the areas of Val Grande and Val Pogallo; its course, and its tributaries are characterised by deep ravines and gorges.
The San Bernardino passes through the communes of San Bernardino Verbano
(which takes its name from the river), Cossogno
and finally Verbania, where it separates the population centres of Pallanza and Intra
and falls into Lake Maggiore.
The San Bernardino provided a source of hydropower
for the factories which were built along its course and its water was employed in the bleaching processes of the adjacent textile factories
. In 1892 Carlo Sutermeister, an industrialist of Swiss origins, constructed the first Italian hydroelectric power station capable of distributing electrical power ; it supplied the inhabitants of Intra, Pallanza and other places in the area as well as the factories nearby. Subsequently the power plant of Rovegro was built and today there a three power stations in use on the river.
can be enjoyed in certain tracts of this Alpine
torrent and, despite the chilly water, swimming is a popular pastime, especially at the locality Santino. Fishing is allowed, although only for brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), and only outside the protected reserves which form part of the national park.
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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...
Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola is the northernmost province in the Italian region of Piedmont. It was created in 1996 through the fusion of three distinct regions which had previously been part of the Province of Novara...
and into 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...
at Verbania
Verbania
Verbania is a city and comune on the shore of Lake Maggiore, Piedmont, in northwest Italy, about north-west of Milan and about from Locarno in Switzerland.-Overview:...
on the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
ese (western) shore of the lake.
The origins of its name lie with the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
convent of San Bernardino which was established in 1483 near the mouth of the river, between Intra and Pallanza. The buildings are no longer extant.
Course
The torrent is formed by the confluence of two smaller streams, the Rio Valgrande and the Rio Pogallo, at Ponte Casletto in Val Grande. Its drainage basinDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
comprises the areas of Val Grande and Val Pogallo; its course, and its tributaries are characterised by deep ravines and gorges.
The San Bernardino passes through the communes of San Bernardino Verbano
San Bernardino Verbano
San Bernardino Verbano is a comune in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 120 km northeast of Turin and about 2 km northwest of Verbania....
(which takes its name from the river), Cossogno
Cossogno
Cossogno is a comune in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 130 km northeast of Turin and about 20 km north of Verbania....
and finally Verbania, where it separates the population centres of Pallanza and Intra
Intra
Intra is the third album by avant-garde metal band Ram-Zet released on September 6, 2005 in the US by Tabu Records. It was produced by the bands founder, vocalist, and guitarist, Zet and co-produced by Ram-Zet and Daniel Bergstrand, who also mixed the album...
and falls into Lake Maggiore.
Industrial exploitation
Until the early 1900s the Val Grande and Val Pogallo were an important source of timber and the river was used to transport the trees felled by means of log rolling.The San Bernardino provided a source of hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
for the factories which were built along its course and its water was employed in the bleaching processes of the adjacent textile factories
Textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....
. In 1892 Carlo Sutermeister, an industrialist of Swiss origins, constructed the first Italian hydroelectric power station capable of distributing electrical power ; it supplied the inhabitants of Intra, Pallanza and other places in the area as well as the factories nearby. Subsequently the power plant of Rovegro was built and today there a three power stations in use on the river.
Recreational uses
KayakingKayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
can be enjoyed in certain tracts of this Alpine
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
torrent and, despite the chilly water, swimming is a popular pastime, especially at the locality Santino. Fishing is allowed, although only for brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), and only outside the protected reserves which form part of the national park.
External links
- Map of Parco Val Grande, showing the course of the San Bernardino torrent and its tributaries, from the website of the Parco Nazionale Val Grande.
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