Ticino (river)

Ticino
The Ticino and thePonte CopertoofPavia (originally medieval in date, rebuilt in 1950 after the destruction due to war bombing)
Native name	Tesin(Lombard)
Location
Country	Switzerland,Italy
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Val Bedretto,Ticino,Switzerland
• elevation	about 2,478 m (8,100 ft)
Mouth	Po
• location	south-east ofPavia,Italy
• coordinates	45°08′38″N9°14′12″E
Length	248 km (154 mi)
Basin size	7,228 km2(2,791 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	348 m3/s or 12,300 cu ft/s
• minimum	54 m3/s or 1,900 cu ft/s
• maximum	5,000 m3/s or 180,000 cu ft/s
Discharge
• location	Bellinzona
• average	70 m3/s or 2,500 cu ft/s (MQ)
• minimum	14.5 m3/s or 510 cu ft/s (1Q)
• maximum	906 m3/s or 32,000 cu ft/s (mHQ), 1,500 m3/s or 53,000 cu ft/s (HHQ)
Basin features
Progression	Po→Adriatic Sea

The riverTicino(/tɪˈtʃiːnoʊ/titch-EE-noh,Italian:[tiˈtʃiːno];Lombard:Tesin;FrenchandGerman:Tessin;Latin:Ticīnus) is the most important perennial left-banktributaryof thePo.It has given its name to theSwiss cantonthrough which its upper portion flows.

It is one of the four major rivers taking their source in theGotthardregion, along with theRhône,ReussandRhine. The river rises in the Val Bedretto inSwitzerlandat the frontier between the cantons ofValaisandTicinoright below theNufenen Pass,is fed by the glaciers of the Alps and later flows throughLake Maggiore,which traverses the border toItaly.The Ticino joins the Po a few kilometres downstream (along the Ticino) fromPavia.It is about 248 kilometres (154 mi) long. The stretch of river between Lake Maggiore and the confluence in the Po is included in theParco naturale lombardo della Valle del Ticino,aNature reserveincluded byUNESCOin theWorld Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Name

The name may have meant "the runner," from Proto-Indo-European *tekʷ-ino-s, from *tekʷ- ( “to run, flow” ).

Course

The Ticino arises from the many torrents that drain the mountain flanks on the eastern side ofNufenen Passin the upperVal Bedretto.From here, the river flows to the north-east through the Val Bedretto toAirolo(1,127 metres (3,698 ft)) where the south ramp of theSt Gotthard Passand south portals of both theGotthard Railway Tunneland theGotthard Road Tunnelare located. Then it turns slowly to the southeast while entering theValle Leventina.In the Leventina, the Ticino flows through three terrain steps separated by two narrow gorges (Gola di Monte PiottinoandBiaschina) and finally reaches the canton's floor nearBodioat around 320 m (1050 ft). Shortly after, atBiasca(286 m (938 ft)), the river is joined by its first major tributary, theBrennowhich flows fromPasso del Lucomagnothrough theValle di Blenio.

Before the Ticino passes west of the canton's capital,Bellinzona,the river converges with its second larger left tributary, theMoesa,originating below thePasso del San Bernardinoand flowing through theValle Mesolcina.The Valle Mesolcina (and theVal Calanca) belongs geographically and culturally to the Ticino, but politically it is part of thecanton of the Grisons.This part of the river valley between Biasca and Bellinzona is called theRiviera.The river isdammedafter Bellinzona. Now the Ticino turns almost westwards and flows through the perfectly flatPiano di Magadino,an important cultivation and nature reserve area the river generated itself by its own sediments over ten thousands of years, before it enters theLago Maggioreat the lowest point of Switzerland at 193 metres (633 ft).

Only about the first sixth of the lake lies in Switzerland. Four major tributaries join the Ticino in Lago Maggiore. TheVerzascaand theMaggiaenter the lake in Switzerland inTeneroand in Locarno/Ascona,respectively. TheTresadrains theLago di Luganoand flows inLuinointo Lago Maggiore. TheTocedrains many valleys to the northwest of Lago Maggiore and joins the lake nearFeriolo.It surpasses the Ticino in average discharge volume and contains the highest peak of the catchment area of the Ticino river system, theGrenzgipfel(4617 m (15148 ft)) in theMonte Rosamassif.

InSesto Calendethe river, now called Fiume Ticino, exits Lake Maggiore and meanders southwards, passing theMilano-Malpensa Airportin the east. Now slowly turning to the southeast, the river circumventsMilanoat a distance of about 20 kilometres (12 mi) in the east. Shortly before it converges with the Po in the south of Milano, it passesPaviaon its northern shore.

History

The legendary Gallic leaderBellovesuswas said to have defeated theEtruscanshere in circa 600 BC. Ticino was the location of theBattle of Ticinus,the first battle of theSecond Punic Warfought between theCarthaginianforces ofHannibaland theRomansunderPublius Cornelius Scipioin November 218 BC.

In the Middle AgesPavia(first capital of theKingdom of the Lombardsand then of thekingdom of Italy) was, thanks to the waters of the Ticino, a fundamental hub for communications and trade betweenVeniceand thePo valley.Furthermore, still in Pavia, there was the only brick bridge (ponte Coperto) which until the 19th century crossed the Ticino from Lake Maggiore to the Po.

A wooden bridge was built by theViscontiinVigevanoin the early fourteenth century, but it was set on fire by thePaviafleet in 1315, rebuilt byLuchino Visconti,it was destroyed again by the Pavia in 1356 and never rebuilt.

The Ticino was in the territory of theDuchy of Milanduring much of the later medieval and early modern period, although its upper portion as far asBellinzonain 1500 and as far as the shores ofLago Maggiorein 1513, fell to theOld Swiss Confederacyas a result of theSwiss campaignsin theItalian Wars.

Towns and tributaries

Part of the river Ticino, south ofMilan-Malpensa Airportin Italy.

Val Bedretto

The upper Ticino nearAirolo

Val Bedretto, a narrow alpine valley named after the village ofBedretto,culminates inNufenen Pass,(Italian:Passo della Novena,German:Nufenen Pass), at 2,478 m (8,130 ft) located betweenPizzo Gallina(north, 3,060 m (10,040 ft)) andNufenenstock(south, 2,865 m (9,400 ft)). The road up the valley is fairly straight until it approaches the pass, where the ninehairpin turnsstart.

The Ticino originates on both sides, north and south, of the Nufenenstock: A smaller tributary originates from a small mountain lake south of the Nufenenstock and north of thePiccolo Corno Gries(2,928 m (9,606 ft)) below thePasso del Cornoat 2,484 m (8,150 ft) in the short valley of the same name. Until the beginning of the 20th century the ValaisinneGries Glacierwas still flowing over the Corno Pass into the Val Corno!

Both spring areas converges about where the hairpins of the eastern pass road begins to circumvent about 700 m (2,300 ft) in altitude. Through the passes and over the Nufenenstock runs the border between thecantonsofValaisandTicino.

A paved road constructed in 1964 goes over the Passo della Novena and after some ten hairpins down about 500 m (1,600 ft) in altitude on its western side and then through theÄgenentalin northeasten direction ultimately leading to theObergoms,the upper half of the valley of the uppermost part theRhônecourse. While the lower part of the Valais speaksFrench,the upper part speaks its particularHighest Alemannicdialect, theWalliser German,the population of Ticino speaksItalian.

Subsequently, the Ticino becomes a mountain brook flowing straight down the valley to the hamlet of All'Acqua or All'Acqua Ospizio at 1,614 m (5,295 ft), named for thehospicefor travellers located there near the previous end of a drivable road in former centuries. Currently, it is a base for skiing and hiking. Further down eastwards the small villages of Ronco at 1,476 m (4,843 ft) and finally Bedretto (1,402 m (4,600 ft)) and Villa Bedretto appear. Below Bedretto the Ri di Cristallina, "Cristallina stream", a right tributary from the Val Torta, joins the Ticino at Ossasco, and further down the valley, Fontana is the lowest village in Val Bedretto. The entire area is laced with hiking trails and mountain huts. The valley is subject to avalanches and snow can remain on the ground as late as September.

Valle Leventina

• Airolo

Other

• inSwitzerland:Bellinzona,Locarno(onLake Maggiore).
• inItaly:Stresa(onLake Maggiore),Vigevano,Pavia.

Tributaries

The Ticino has the followingtributaries(R on the right bank, L on the left, lookingdownstream):

• Brenno(L)
• Moesa(L)
• Verzasca(Lake Maggiore, R)
• Maggia(Lake Maggiore, R)
• Cannobino(Lake Maggiore, R)
• Giona(Lake Maggiore, L)
• Tresa(Lake Maggiore, L)
• Boesio(Lake Maggiore, L)
• San Bernardino(Lake Maggiore, R)
• Toce(Lake Maggiore, R)
• Stronetta(Lake Maggiore, R)
• Bardello(Lake Maggiore, L)
• Arno(L)
• Roggia Vernavola(L)

See also

• List of rivers of Switzerland

External links

• Photo gallery about the Ticino Valley Natural Park made by a UNESCO photographer.