Last Updated on September 14, 2023 by Hernan Gimenez
The River Po rises in Piedmont and flows through eastern Italy, making it the country’s largest river. It flows into the Adriatic Sea.
Location of the Po River
This important Italian river has a length of six hundred and fifty-two kilometres and its basin covers an area of seventy-four thousand square kilometres. It rises to an altitude of 2,222 metres. It has its source in Pian del Re, in the lower part of the Monviso area of Crissolo.
The Po River forms a large number of islands and, just before it reaches the mouth, it divides into six main branches, giving rise to the islands. It crosses Italy from the west to the east. The Greeks called it Eridano and the Romans called it the king of the known rivers because of its superiority over the other Italian rivers. The map below shows how the Po flows through Italy, making it the river that divides Italy.
It covers 71,057 square kilometres of mountainous area and 29,000 square kilometres of plain, the rest belonging to Switzerland and France. Among the cities crossed by the river Po are Cremona, Ferrara, Piacenza and the largest Turin. In its course, in the part of the valley towards the plain of Fiorenza, a waterfall of 30 metres falls, offering a beautiful landscape.
At the end of its course, the river Po forms a delta in eastern Italy, protected by two natural parks. This area is unique for its flora and fauna.
A great variety of birds can be found in this area. The River Po is home to various species of fish, including catfish, which according to records and some photos taken by a fisherman, caught a giant fish, here is a photo for you to see.
In 1899, on the coldest day of the winter, an event was organised to plunge into the icy waters of the Po. It became a tradition for the inhabitants and is still held today. People of all ages take part in the event, children, teenagers, and this year the most outstanding participant was ninety-three-year-old Sergio Marzorito.
In July this year (2017), the Po river was affected by drought, causing an alarming drop in water levels. This has had a significant impact on crops and livestock, and is expected to cause losses of around two million euros (see article: River Nile).
In the following video, you can enjoy a beautiful song dedicated to the River Po by the band Presuntos Implicados in 1996, and see part of the river’s course.
River Po Turin
The city of Turin is one of the cities built around the river Po; unlike many cities built around a river, the Po flows through the outskirts of the city.
For this reason, most tourists who visit the city of Turin, if they are not aware of the existence of the river, miss out on the beautiful scenery of the city, as they only visit the historical centre of the city (see article: River Paraguay).
On the river tour in the city, there are many places to rest, such as restaurants, boat club, where you can take a tour by boat, yacht or kayak.
You can cycle around the city and see the riverbanks and all its beautiful scenery, where you will find the Valentino Park, where you can see beautiful landscapes, palaces, gardens and many other attractions. The boats that take you on the tour are air-conditioned, so you don’t have to worry about the weather and can enjoy this spectacular experience to the full. If you visit the banks of the Po in the city of Turin, you can count on wonderful hotels, nightclubs, restaurants where you can enjoy their services and a beautiful view of the majestic river.
The city of Turin is well known for being crossed by the Po, the longest river in Italy, and for being the birthplace of the world famous FIAT car factory. It is also home to palaces and castles (see Danube article).
The Po Valley is the most developed industrial region in the country and one of the most important in Europe.
The Po Delta was declared a World Heritage Site in 1995. This was due to the beauty of its landscape and its important cultural heritage, including the Valentino Castle and the 1860 iron bridge.
