Staffora
Encyclopedia
The Staffora is a river of the Oltrepò Pavese
in the Province of Pavia
, north-west Italy
and a right-side tributary of the Po
. It is probably the river known to the Romans
as the Iria.
at the Fontana di S. Giacomo (1343m) near the Passo del Giovà, which lies just to the east of the peak of Monte Chiappo in the commune
of Santa Margherita di Staffora
. It flows at first through a deep and narrow valley, receiving from the right the waters of the torrents Montagnola and Aronchio before reaching Varzi
where the valley begins to widen. The torrent Crenna enters from the right and the Lella from the left before the Staffora receives its major affluents: from the right: the torrent Nizza at Ponte Nizza
and the torrent Ardivestra at Godiasco
and from the left the torrent Semola near Ponte Nizza
. The river flows through Salice Terme (administratively a frazione
of Godiasco) before entering the Pianura Padana at Rivanazzano Terme. The Staffora then passes through the eastern outskirts of Voghera
, the principal town on its course, before entering the Po near Cervesina
.
Iria, following the derivation of ‘Voghera’, which lies of the left bank of the Staffora, from Vicus Iria. Some, however, have identified the Iria with the Scrivia
.
The word ‘Stàffora’, once ‘Stàfula’, comes from the Lombard "Staffel", which first referred to a place on the river’s course near Voghera: cascina Stàffela.
Oltrepò Pavese
The Oltrepò Pavese is the area of the Province of Pavia, in the north-west Italian region of Lombardy, which lies to the south of the river Po. Extending over an area of c...
in the Province of Pavia
Province of Pavia
The Province of Pavia is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. Pavia is the capital.It has an area of 2,965 km², and a total population of 493,753...
, north-west 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...
and a right-side tributary of the Po
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
. It is probably the river known to the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
as the Iria.
Course
The river rises in the Ligurian ApenninesApennine 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...
at the Fontana di S. Giacomo (1343m) near the Passo del Giovà, which lies just to the east of the peak of Monte Chiappo in the commune
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 Santa Margherita di Staffora
Santa Margherita di Staffora
Santa Margherita di Staffora is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 80 km south of Milan and about 50 km south of Pavia...
. It flows at first through a deep and narrow valley, receiving from the right the waters of the torrents Montagnola and Aronchio before reaching Varzi
Varzi
Varzi is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 70 km south of Milan and about 40 km south of Pavia...
where the valley begins to widen. The torrent Crenna enters from the right and the Lella from the left before the Staffora receives its major affluents: from the right: the torrent Nizza at Ponte Nizza
Ponte Nizza
Ponte Nizza is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 70 km south of Milan and about 35 km south of Pavia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 858 and an area of 23.1 km²....
and the torrent Ardivestra at Godiasco
Godiasco
Godiasco is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km south of Milan and about 30 km south of Pavia...
and from the left the torrent Semola near Ponte Nizza
Ponte Nizza
Ponte Nizza is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 70 km south of Milan and about 35 km south of Pavia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 858 and an area of 23.1 km²....
. The river flows through Salice Terme (administratively a frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of Godiasco) before entering the Pianura Padana at Rivanazzano Terme. The Staffora then passes through the eastern outskirts of Voghera
Voghera
thumb|250px|The Castle of Voghera in a 19th century etching.Voghera is a town and comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Pavia...
, the principal town on its course, before entering the Po near Cervesina
Cervesina
Cervesina is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 45 km south of Milan and about 15 km southwest of Pavia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,186 and an area of 12.5 km²....
.
Regime
Although the river flows throughout the year, fed by perennial springs as well as by seasonal rains and melting ice, the regime is torrential: its discharge can vary between 0.7 m²/s and 675 m²/s.History
The river is usually identified with the RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Iria, following the derivation of ‘Voghera’, which lies of the left bank of the Staffora, from Vicus Iria. Some, however, have identified the Iria with the Scrivia
Scrivia
The Scrivia is a right tributary of the Po River, in northern Italy. It runs through Liguria, Piedmont, and Lombardy....
.
The word ‘Stàffora’, once ‘Stàfula’, comes from the Lombard "Staffel", which first referred to a place on the river’s course near Voghera: cascina Stàffela.
Further reading
- http://www.comunitamontanaoltrepo.it/AreaPubblica/Aspettigeografici.asp
- http://www.vallestaffora.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=28
- http://www.cpt-italia.it/territorio2.htm
- http://www.provincia.pv.it/ambiente/acqua/pdf/rinaturaliz_staffora.pdf