Trebbia
Encyclopedia
The Trebbia is a river
predominantly of Liguria
and Emilia Romagna in northern Italy
. It is one of the four main right-bank tributaries of the river Po
, the other three being the Tanaro
, the Secchia and the Panaro
. The 1150 km² (444 sq mi) drainage basin is divided between Emilia Romagna (770 km², 300 mi²), Liguria (349 km², 135 mi²) and Lombardy
(31 km², 12 mi²). Its principal tributaries are the torrents Aveto and Perino (from the right) and the torrent Boreca (from the left).
, to the south of Monte Antola in the comune
of Torriglia
, Province of Genoa
. Monte Prelà, 1407 m (4,616.1 ft) high,The other reference has 1406 m (4,612.9 ft). is part of the Antola massif.
The spring is not on the peak but is at roughly 800 m (2,624.7 ft). Across a small ridge to the west, on which sits Torriglia
, and slightly further downslope is the source of the Scrivia
river. Over a ridge to the northeast is the Brugneto reservoir, water supply for Genoa
. The reservoir was created in 1959 by damming Brugneto stream, which formerly joined its waters to the Trebbia, but now only does so when the reservoir is full. A ridge running north from Prelà connects to Monte Druso, then to Monte Cremado, and finally to Monte Antola at 1597 m (5,239.5 ft). From its peak on a clear day can be seen Genoa
, Corsica
, the Tuscan Archipelago
and the Alps
.
From its source the river flows towards north-east for 118 km (73.3 mi)The other reference has 105 km (65.2 mi). until it reaches the Po just to the west of Piacenza
. The Alta Val Trebbia ("High Trebbia Valley") includes the valley down to Bobbio
. It straddles eight comuni of Genoa
: Torriglia
, Rondanina
, Propata
, Fascia
, Montebruno
, Rovegno
, Fontanigorda
and Gorreto
. Each of these contains numerous hamlets, some on the river, most on the slopes. Gorreto is on the Ligurian side of the border with Piacenza province.
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Past Gorreto the Trebbia flows under a few mountain villages arriving at the next town, Ottone. Below Ottone Val Boreca enters from the left opposite the frazione
of Losso. The Boreca is a mountain brook falling from the heights of the "four provinces" region generally too small to be shown on maps but visible in satellite photographs. Just below Zerba
(from which it is accessed) its waters are impounded by a dam diverting them through the turbines of a hydroelectric power station.
The border with the Province of Pavia
in southernmost Lombardy
follows the Trebbia for about 2000 m (6,561.7 ft) where it bends around Ponte Organasco, so that some of the river and bottom lands are in Lombardy. Further downstream the valley opens to accommodate Corte Brugnatella
and then closes to form steep sides again. Receiving the Torrente Carlone from the left it enters Bobbio
on the left bank. Here the high valley ends and the valley becomes the Val Trebbia.
The river goes on under a good many small communities located up on the flanks of the hills before reaching the next good-sized town on it, Travo
, and then Rivergaro
. Here the val ends. It widens and merges with the Pianura Padana, "plain of the Po", beyond Rivergaro and a few miles later encounters the suburban communities on the west side of Piacenza
before entering the Po. Geologically the course of the lower Trebbia and that of the Po is unstable except where stabilized by man.
Nearly the whole course of the river is paralleled by the Strada statale della Val Trebbia, highway SS45, running between Piacenza and Genoa. It encounters the river at Rivergaro
and winds with it through the mountains, breaking away just below the source to bend southwest over the ridges to Genoa.
at 800 m (2,624.7 ft) to 1500 m (4,921.3 ft); over 1500 m: Sorbus aucuparia
, Sorbus aria
, Laburnum anagyroides
, Acer pseudoplatanus, Abies alba, Larix decidua, Alnus incana, Populus tremula
; below 1000 m (3,280.8 ft): Quercus cerris, Quercus sessiflora, Quercus pubescens, Ostrya carpinifolia
, Carpinus betulus, Fraxinus ornus
, Acer campestre, Ulmus campestris, Populus alba, Populus canescens, Alnus glutinosa, Prunus avium
, Pirus communis
, Malus communis
, Corylus avellana
; below 800 m (2,624.7 ft):Castanea sativa.
The shrubbery includes the following species: Juniperus communis
, Rubus fruticosus, Rubus idaeus
, Polygala chamaebuxus
, Daphne mezereum
, Vaccinium myrtillus
, Cornus mas, Euonymus europaea, Cytisus sessilifolius, Erica arborea, Ruscus aculeatus, Clematis vitalba
, Lonicera caprifolium, Crataegus oxyacantha
, Rosa canina, Spartium junceum.
The ferns
are Polypodium volgare, Asplenium ruta-muraria
, Dryopteris filix-mas
, Pteridium aquilinum
, Notholaena marantae.
The other birds include Buteo buteo, Falco tinnunculus, Accipiter nisus, Pernis apivorus, Cinclus cinclus, Charadrius dubius, Motacilla alba, Motacilla flava, Alcedo atthis, Alectoris rufa and Picus viridis.
folded
by transverse thrusting from sedimentary rock
. The streams draining it run primarily in a northeastern direction perpendicular
to the line of the folds and project into the Po river
an average of 50 km (31.1 mi) from the source. The eroded landscape of the north Apennines covers about 2800 km² (1,081.1 sq mi).
For much of their lengths, these heavily braided
streams run through montane terrain that is minimally developed, is known for its wildlife, and remains in a pristine state. The sediment eroded from the mountains is deposited in alluvial fans and terraces in the Po valley, which is heavily populated and in ancient times flooded regularly. Diking has prevented much of the flooding but now due to confinement of deposition within the stream beds significant lengths of stream run entirely above ground, in places as high as the rooftops. This is a development of the previous thousand years.
The native rock differs between the two banks. On the left is mainly sedimentary rock
, the Monte Antola limestone, which is actually a marl
stone. On the right is both sedimentary and metamorphic rock
: ophiolite, serpentinite
, basalt
, jasper
.
Val Trebbia is covered with a blanket of rich soil reddish or brown in color from hematite
an average of 4 m (13.1 ft) deep. It consists of loess
deposited in layers during periods of glacial maxima beginning about 400000 years ago in the Middle Pleistocene
. The loess initially accumulated on gravelled terraces deriving from native rock.
, about 150000 years ago. In the Mesolithic
various summer camps for high-altitude hunting were located in the valley. Neolithic
cultures were at first diverse (4500 BC). Later in the Neolithic, at about 4000 BC, the Square-mouthed pottery culture began to prevail; at about 3000 BC, the Chassey-Lagozza culture
of the Chalcolithic. The Bronze Age
population resided in settlements located at positions with natural defenses. Etruscan
elements began in the Iron Age
, about the 5th century BC. Celtic artifacts immediately preceded the Roman presence.
Along its eastern banks in 218 BC
was fought one of the battles of the Second Punic War
: the Battle of Trebbia, where Hannibal defeated a Roman
consular army.
The name of the river is first known from Polybius
, who wrote in the middle Roman Republic
, but used materials dating to earlier. Which people first assigned it and during which period remains unclear. Without knowing the probable language the few etymologies are highly speculative.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
predominantly of Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
and Emilia Romagna in northern 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...
. It is one of the four main right-bank tributaries of the river 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...
, the other three being the Tanaro
Tanaro River
The Tanaro , known as Tanarus in ancient times, is a 276 km-long river in northwestern Italy. It rises in the Ligurian Alps, close to the border with France and is the most significant right-side tributary to the Po in terms of length, size of drainage basin and discharge.-Source:The Tanaro proper...
, the Secchia and the Panaro
Panaro
The Panaro is an Italian river and the final right-hand tributary to the Po, discounting the Cavo Napoleonico canal. It runs right across Emilia-Romagna in a north-easterly direction: from its source close to the Apennine watershed, where Emilia-Romagna meets Tuscany, to its outlet where the Po...
. The 1150 km² (444 sq mi) drainage basin is divided between Emilia Romagna (770 km², 300 mi²), Liguria (349 km², 135 mi²) and 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...
(31 km², 12 mi²). Its principal tributaries are the torrents Aveto and Perino (from the right) and the torrent Boreca (from the left).
Geography
The source of the river, the Trebbia river spring, is in the Ligurian Apennines on the south slopes of Monte PrelàMonte Prelà
Monte Prelà is a mountain in Liguria, northern Italy, part of the Ligurian Appennines. It is located in the comune of Torriglia, province of Genoa, south of Monte Antola....
, to the south of Monte Antola in the comune
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 Torriglia
Torriglia
Torriglia is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located in the upper Trebbia valley, about 20 km northeast of Genoa.thumb|220px|left|Church of Sant'Onorato in Torriglia....
, Province of Genoa
Province of Genoa
The Province of Genoa is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Genoa.It has an area of 1,838 km², and a total population of about 900,000...
. Monte Prelà, 1407 m (4,616.1 ft) high,The other reference has 1406 m (4,612.9 ft). is part of the Antola massif.
The spring is not on the peak but is at roughly 800 m (2,624.7 ft). Across a small ridge to the west, on which sits Torriglia
Torriglia
Torriglia is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located in the upper Trebbia valley, about 20 km northeast of Genoa.thumb|220px|left|Church of Sant'Onorato in Torriglia....
, and slightly further downslope is the source of the Scrivia
Scrivia
The Scrivia is a right tributary of the Po River, in northern Italy. It runs through Liguria, Piedmont, and Lombardy....
river. Over a ridge to the northeast is the Brugneto reservoir, water supply for Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. The reservoir was created in 1959 by damming Brugneto stream, which formerly joined its waters to the Trebbia, but now only does so when the reservoir is full. A ridge running north from Prelà connects to Monte Druso, then to Monte Cremado, and finally to Monte Antola at 1597 m (5,239.5 ft). From its peak on a clear day can be seen Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, the Tuscan Archipelago
Tuscan Archipelago
The Tuscan Archipelago is a chain of islands between the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Tuscany, Italy.The archipelago contains the islands of Gorgona, Capraia, Elba , Pianosa, Montecristo, Giglio, and Giannutri; all of which are protected as part of the Tuscan Archipelago National...
and the Alps
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....
.
From its source the river flows towards north-east for 118 km (73.3 mi)The other reference has 105 km (65.2 mi). until it reaches the Po just to the west of Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
. The Alta Val Trebbia ("High Trebbia Valley") includes the valley down to Bobbio
Bobbio
Bobbio is a small town and commune in the province of Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is located in the Trebbia River valley southwest of the town Piacenza. There is also an abbey and a diocese of the same name...
. It straddles eight comuni of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
: Torriglia
Torriglia
Torriglia is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located in the upper Trebbia valley, about 20 km northeast of Genoa.thumb|220px|left|Church of Sant'Onorato in Torriglia....
, Rondanina
Rondanina
Rondanina is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 30 km northeast of Genoa....
, Propata
Propata
Propata is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 25 km northeast of Genoa.The parish church of St. Lawrence houses a wooden statue by Anton Maria Maragliano....
, Fascia
Fascia
A fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the human body. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches...
, Montebruno
Montebruno
Montebruno is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 30 km northeast of Genoa. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 262 and an area of 17.5 km²....
, Rovegno
Rovegno
Rovegno is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 35 km northeast of Genoa, in the Val Trebbia.Rovegno borders the following municipalities: Fascia, Fontanigorda, Gorreto, Ottone, Rezzoaglio....
, Fontanigorda
Fontanigorda
Fontanigorda is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 35 km northeast of Genoa.Fontanigorda borders the following municipalities: Fascia, Montebruno, Rezzoaglio, Rovegno....
and Gorreto
Gorreto
Gorreto is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 35 km northeast of Genoa.Gorreto borders the following municipalities: Carrega Ligure, Fascia, Ottone, Rovegno....
. Each of these contains numerous hamlets, some on the river, most on the slopes. Gorreto is on the Ligurian side of the border with Piacenza province.
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 Losso. The Boreca is a mountain brook falling from the heights of the "four provinces" region generally too small to be shown on maps but visible in satellite photographs. Just below Zerba
Zerba
Zerba is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 170 km west of Bologna and about 50 km southwest of Piacenza...
(from which it is accessed) its waters are impounded by a dam diverting them through the turbines of a hydroelectric power station.
The border with 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...
in southernmost 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...
follows the Trebbia for about 2000 m (6,561.7 ft) where it bends around Ponte Organasco, so that some of the river and bottom lands are in Lombardy. Further downstream the valley opens to accommodate Corte Brugnatella
Corte Brugnatella
Corte Brugnatella is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 160 km west of Bologna and about 45 km southwest of Piacenza....
and then closes to form steep sides again. Receiving the Torrente Carlone from the left it enters Bobbio
Bobbio
Bobbio is a small town and commune in the province of Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is located in the Trebbia River valley southwest of the town Piacenza. There is also an abbey and a diocese of the same name...
on the left bank. Here the high valley ends and the valley becomes the Val Trebbia.
The river goes on under a good many small communities located up on the flanks of the hills before reaching the next good-sized town on it, Travo
Travo
Travo is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 150 km northwest of Bologna and about 25 km southwest of Piacenza...
, and then Rivergaro
Rivergaro
Rivergaro is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 150 km northwest of Bologna and about 20 km southwest of Piacenza...
. Here the val ends. It widens and merges with the Pianura Padana, "plain of the Po", beyond Rivergaro and a few miles later encounters the suburban communities on the west side of Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
before entering the Po. Geologically the course of the lower Trebbia and that of the Po is unstable except where stabilized by man.
Nearly the whole course of the river is paralleled by the Strada statale della Val Trebbia, highway SS45, running between Piacenza and Genoa. It encounters the river at Rivergaro
Rivergaro
Rivergaro is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 150 km northwest of Bologna and about 20 km southwest of Piacenza...
and winds with it through the mountains, breaking away just below the source to bend southwest over the ridges to Genoa.
Flora
The following trees are predominant in the forests of Val Trebbia: Fagus silvaticaEuropean Beech
Fagus sylvatica, the European Beech or Common Beech, is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.-Natural range:...
at 800 m (2,624.7 ft) to 1500 m (4,921.3 ft); over 1500 m: Sorbus aucuparia
Sorbus aucuparia
Sorbus aucuparia , is a species of the genus Sorbus, native to most of Europe except for the far south, and northern Asia...
, Sorbus aria
Whitebeam
The whitebeams are members of the Rosaceae family, comprising subgenus Aria of genus Sorbus, and hybrids involving species of this subgenus and members of subgenera Sorbus, Torminaria and Chamaemespilus. They are deciduous trees with simple or lobed leaves, arranged alternately...
, Laburnum anagyroides
Laburnum anagyroides
Laburnum anagyroides is a species of small deciduous trees or large shrubs up to 7 m tall in the genus Laburnum, native to Central and Southern Europe. It is a popular ornamental plant, along with the other species in the genus, L. alpinum, and especially the hybrid between them, L. × watereri. L...
, Acer pseudoplatanus, Abies alba, Larix decidua, Alnus incana, Populus tremula
Populus tremula
Populus tremula, commonly called aspen, common aspen, Eurasian aspen, European aspen, trembling poplar, or quaking aspen, is a species of poplar native to cool temperate regions of Europe and Asia, from the British Isles east to Kamchatka, north to inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia and...
; below 1000 m (3,280.8 ft): Quercus cerris, Quercus sessiflora, Quercus pubescens, Ostrya carpinifolia
Ostrya carpinifolia
Ostrya carpinifolia, the Hop Hornbeam, is a tree in genus Ostrya, in the family Betulaceae, native to Europe.-Distribution:Ostrya carpinifolia is found in Italy, France, Austria, Slovenia, Greece, the Balkans, southern Switzerland and Anatolia.It is found in the medium elevations, in southern...
, Carpinus betulus, Fraxinus ornus
Fraxinus ornus
Fraxinus ornus is a species of Fraxinus native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia, from Spain and Italy north to Austria and the Czech Republic, and east through the Balkans, Turkey, and western Syria to the Lebanon.It is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 15–25 m tall with a trunk up...
, Acer campestre, Ulmus campestris, Populus alba, Populus canescens, Alnus glutinosa, Prunus avium
Prunus avium
Prunus avium, commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, bird cherry, or gean, is a species of cherry, native to Europe, west Turkey, northwest Africa, and western Asia, from the British Isles south to Morocco and Tunisia, north to the Trondheimsfjord region in Norway and east to the Caucasus, and...
, Pirus communis
European Pear
The European Pear, Pyrus communis, is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe and southwest Asia. The European Pear is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars grown in Europe, North America and Australia have...
, Malus communis
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, Corylus avellana
Corylus avellana
Corylus avellana, the Common Hazel, is a species of hazel native to Europe and western Asia, from the British Isles south to Iberia, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, north to central Scandinavia, and east to the central Ural Mountains, the Caucasus, and northwestern Iran. It is an important component of...
; below 800 m (2,624.7 ft):Castanea sativa.
The shrubbery includes the following species: Juniperus communis
Juniperus communis
Juniperus communis, the Common Juniper, is a species in the genus Juniperus, in the family Cupressaceae. It has the largest range of any woody plant, throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic south in mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia.-...
, Rubus fruticosus, Rubus idaeus
Rubus idaeus
Rubus idaeus is a red-fruited species of Rubus native to Europe and northern Asia and commonly cultivated in other temperate regions. A closely related plant in North America, sometimes regarded as the variety Rubus idaeus var...
, Polygala chamaebuxus
Polygala chamaebuxus
Polygala chamaebuxus is an ornamental plant of Polygala genus in Polygalaceae family.-External links:*...
, Daphne mezereum
Daphne mezereum
Daphne mezereum is a species of Daphne in the flowering plant family Thymelaeaceae, native to most of Europe and Western Asia, north to northern Scandinavia and Russia. In southern Europe it is confined to medium to higher elevations and in the subalpine vegetation zone, but descends to near sea...
, Vaccinium myrtillus
Vaccinium myrtillus
Vaccinium myrtillus is an almost Holarctic species of shrub with edible fruit, usually simply referred to as "bilberry" or "whortleberry". It is more precidely called Common Bilberry or Blue Whortleberry, to distinguish it from its Vaccinium relatives...
, Cornus mas, Euonymus europaea, Cytisus sessilifolius, Erica arborea, Ruscus aculeatus, Clematis vitalba
Clematis vitalba
Clematis vitalba is a shrub of the Ranunculaceae family.-Description:Clematis vitalba is a climbing shrub with branched, grooved stems, deciduous leaves, and scented greeny-white flowers with fluffy underlying sepals...
, Lonicera caprifolium, Crataegus oxyacantha
Crataegus oxyacantha
The name Crataegus oxyacantha L. has been rejected as being of uncertain application, but is sometimes still used.-Taxonomy:Linnaeus introduced the name Crataegus oxyacantha for a species of Northern European Hawthorn and the name gradually became used for several similar species which were assumed...
, Rosa canina, Spartium junceum.
The ferns
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
are Polypodium volgare, Asplenium ruta-muraria
Asplenium ruta-muraria
Asplenium ruta-muraria is a species of fern commonly known as wall-rue. In Germany, it is known as Mauerraute or Mauerstreifenfarn. It is a very small epipetric species, growing exclusively on limestone and other calcareous rocks. It is native to both Europe and eastern North America...
, Dryopteris filix-mas
Dryopteris filix-mas
Dryopteris filix-mas is one of the most common ferns of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, occurring throughout much of Europe, Asia, and North America. It favours damp shaded areas and is common in the understory of woodlands, but is also found in shady places on hedge-banks, rocks, and screes...
, Pteridium aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions throughout much of the northern hemisphere....
, Notholaena marantae.
Fauna
The Val Trebbia is within the endemic range of Moltoni's Warbler, a subspecies of Sylvia cantillans better known in the western Mediterranean islands. The birds forage for insects in mixed shrubland of varying heights and both broad-leaved and coniferous composition.The other birds include Buteo buteo, Falco tinnunculus, Accipiter nisus, Pernis apivorus, Cinclus cinclus, Charadrius dubius, Motacilla alba, Motacilla flava, Alcedo atthis, Alectoris rufa and Picus viridis.
Geologic history
The northern Apennines are a belt of northeast-southwest mountains on the coast of northwest ItalyItaly
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...
folded
Fold (geology)
The term fold is used in geology when one or a stack of originally flat and planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, are bent or curved as a result of permanent deformation. Synsedimentary folds are those due to slumping of sedimentary material before it is lithified. Folds in rocks vary in...
by transverse thrusting from sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
. The streams draining it run primarily in a northeastern direction perpendicular
Perpendicular
In geometry, two lines or planes are considered perpendicular to each other if they form congruent adjacent angles . The term may be used as a noun or adjective...
to the line of the folds and project into the Po river
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...
an average of 50 km (31.1 mi) from the source. The eroded landscape of the north Apennines covers about 2800 km² (1,081.1 sq mi).
For much of their lengths, these heavily braided
Braided river
A braided river is one of a number of channel types and has a channel that consists of a network of small channels separated by small and often temporary islands called braid bars or, in British usage, aits or eyots. Braided streams occur in rivers with high slope and/or large sediment load...
streams run through montane terrain that is minimally developed, is known for its wildlife, and remains in a pristine state. The sediment eroded from the mountains is deposited in alluvial fans and terraces in the Po valley, which is heavily populated and in ancient times flooded regularly. Diking has prevented much of the flooding but now due to confinement of deposition within the stream beds significant lengths of stream run entirely above ground, in places as high as the rooftops. This is a development of the previous thousand years.
The native rock differs between the two banks. On the left is mainly sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
, the Monte Antola limestone, which is actually a marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
stone. On the right is both sedimentary and metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
: ophiolite, serpentinite
Serpentinite
Serpentinite is a rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals. Minerals in this group are formed by serpentinization, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle...
, basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
, jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
.
Val Trebbia is covered with a blanket of rich soil reddish or brown in color from hematite
Hematite
Hematite, also spelled as haematite, is the mineral form of iron oxide , one of several iron oxides. Hematite crystallizes in the rhombohedral system, and it has the same crystal structure as ilmenite and corundum...
an average of 4 m (13.1 ft) deep. It consists of loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
deposited in layers during periods of glacial maxima beginning about 400000 years ago in the Middle Pleistocene
Middle Pleistocene
The Middle Pleistocene, more specifically referred to as the Ionian stage, is a period of geologic time from ca. 781 to 126 thousand years ago....
. The loess initially accumulated on gravelled terraces deriving from native rock.
Cultural history
Judging from the archaeological evidence, the Trebbia valley has been continuously occupied since the end of the Acheulian in the PaleolithicPaleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
, about 150000 years ago. In the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
various summer camps for high-altitude hunting were located in the valley. Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
cultures were at first diverse (4500 BC). Later in the Neolithic, at about 4000 BC, the Square-mouthed pottery culture began to prevail; at about 3000 BC, the Chassey-Lagozza culture
Chalcolithic Europe
Chalcolithic Europe, the Chalcolithic period of Prehistoric Europe lasts roughly 3500 to 1700 BC.It is the period of Megalithic culture, the appearance of the first significant economic stratification, and probably the earliest presence of Indo-European speakers.The economy of the Chalcolithic,...
of the Chalcolithic. The Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
population resided in settlements located at positions with natural defenses. Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
elements began in the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, about the 5th century BC. Celtic artifacts immediately preceded the Roman presence.
Along its eastern banks in 218 BC
218 BC
Year 218 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Scipio and Longus...
was fought one of the battles of the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
: the Battle of Trebbia, where Hannibal defeated a Roman
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
consular army.
The name of the river is first known from Polybius
Polybius
Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...
, who wrote in the middle Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
, but used materials dating to earlier. Which people first assigned it and during which period remains unclear. Without knowing the probable language the few etymologies are highly speculative.