# Umbria: a 165 meter waterfall the Romans switched on

> The Marmore falls drop 165 meters on three leaps and were dug by the Romans in 271 BC. Entry costs €12, and the water only runs at set hours.

URL: https://myitalia.it/nature-and-parks/in-umbria
Last updated: 2026-09-03

The most photographed waterfall in Umbria is a Roman public works project: the Marmore falls drop 165 meters on three leaps because engineers cut the Curiano channel in 271 BC, and the water still runs to a timetable.

## Built in 271 BC, and still switched on and off

Roman engineers created the Marmore falls in 271 BC, cutting the Curiano channel to drain the stagnant water of the Velino from the Rieti plain into the river Nera. The drop they made is 165 meters over three leaps, and none of it is natural.

That history has a live consequence. Outside the release hours the water is diverted to a hydroelectric plant and the falls fall to a trickle, controlled by sluice gates at the top of the drop.

Anyone arriving without checking the calendar risks seeing a wet cliff. The release times change month by month and differ between weekdays and holidays, published as a seasonal calendar that has to be reread before each visit.

## The ticket, and the cheap winter version

Entry to the Marmore park costs €12 full from age 10 upward, €10 reduced for ages 5 to 9 and over 70s, and nothing under 5. Groups of 15 or more pay €10 a head, an Umbria Green Card holder pays €8, and the internal shuttle costs €4.

On winter days with no water release the ticket drops to €6. That price exists precisely because the falls are switched off, and the honest reading is that the park is charging half for half the show.

Residents of the comune of Terni, people with a serious disability and licensed guides enter free, and a camper can park for 24 hours for €20.

## Lake Trasimeno: the islands are not guaranteed

The Busitalia ferries to the Trasimeno islands run a seasonal service from July 5 to September 27, 2026, with crossings of 15 to 30 minutes to Isola Maggiore from Passignano and from Tuoro Navaccia.

Two routes are missing this year. The Castiglione del Lago crossing is suspended because of the water crisis, and the entire service to Isola Polvese stopped on June 29, 2026. The operator warns that remaining sailings may run at reduced capacity.

Landing on Isola Maggiore carries a fee of €3 from March 1 to October 31, 2026 and €2 the rest of the year. Single crossings cost €4.20 to €5.40, returns €6.00 to €10.00, and a full day adult ticket is €14.30.

## The park around the lake: 13,200 hectares since 1995

The Regional Park of Lake Trasimeno was established in 1995 and covers 13,200 hectares across five comuni. The lake at its center is the largest in peninsular Italy.

The numbers that matter here are the vertical ones. The water surface runs 124 to 128 square kilometers, but the depth is only 3 to 6 meters, and the regional hydrometric zero is set at 257.33 meters above sea level.

A lake that wide and that shallow loses height fast in a dry year, which is the mechanism behind the suspended crossings above. Depth, not surface, is the number to watch.

## What connects the two

Each of the two sites is water under management: one is a Roman diversion still operated on a schedule, the other a lake whose level has cut the boat service in the same season.

Umbria's water landscapes are engineered or endangered, sometimes both, and that is the most useful thing to know before planning a day around them. The regional environmental agency does not publish an accessible page on the lake level, so no figure for it appears here.

More in [Umbria](/regions/umbria), [Lake Trasimeno](/nature/lago-trasimeno) and [the waterfall Rome built](/stories/the-waterfall-rome-built).

## FAQ

### Is the Marmore waterfall natural?

No. The Romans created it in 271 BC by digging the Curiano channel to drain the stagnant waters of the Velino into the river Nera. It drops 165 meters on three leaps, and sluice gates at the top still control the flow.

### Why is there sometimes no water at Marmore?

The water is diverted to a hydroelectric plant outside the release hours, so the 165 meter drop falls to a trickle. Sluice gates at the top control it. The release calendar changes month by month and between weekdays and holidays, so read it before you set out.

### How much does the Marmore park cost?

€12 full from age 10 up, €10 reduced for ages 5 to 9 and over 70s, free under 5, and €6 on winter days with no water release. The internal shuttle is €4, groups of 15 or more pay €10 each, and residents of the comune of Terni enter free.

### Can you reach the islands on Lake Trasimeno in 2026?

Only Isola Maggiore, and only in season. The Busitalia service runs July 5 to September 27, 2026, with crossings of 15 to 30 minutes from Passignano and Tuoro Navaccia. The Castiglione del Lago route is suspended and all service to Isola Polvese stopped on June 29, 2026.

### How big is the Trasimeno park?

13,200 hectares across five comuni, established in 1995. The lake inside it is the largest in peninsular Italy, with a water surface of 124 to 128 square kilometers and a depth of only 3 to 6 meters.

### Is there a landing fee on Isola Maggiore?

Yes. €3 from March 1 to October 31, 2026 and €2 for the rest of the year, on top of the ferry ticket. Single crossings run €4.20 to €5.40, returns €6.00 to €10.00, and an adult day ticket is €14.30.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Cascata delle Marmore, alta 165 metri su tre salti, non e' naturale: la crearono i Romani nel 271 a.C. scavando il canale Curiano per far defluire nel fiume Nera le acque stagnanti del Velino nella piana reatina. Per questo l'acqua non scorre sempre: fuori dagli orari di rilascio viene deviata alla centrale idroelettrica e la cascata resta ridotta al minimo, regolata da paratie in cima al salto. | [Parco della Cascata delle Marmore - Comune di Terni](https://cascatadellemarmore.info/come-funziona/) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| Al Parco della Cascata delle Marmore il biglietto intero costa 12 euro dai 10 anni in su, 10 euro il ridotto (5-9 anni e over 70), gratis sotto i 5 anni, e scende a 6 euro nelle giornate invernali senza rilascio d'acqua; la navetta interna costa 4 euro e i residenti nel Comune di Terni entrano gratis (2026). | [Parco della Cascata delle Marmore - Comune di Terni](https://cascatadellemarmore.info/biglietteria/); [doc 2](https://cascatadellemarmore.info/orari-e-aperture/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Le isole del Lago Trasimeno si raggiungono con i traghetti di Busitalia: nel 2026 il servizio stagionale va dal 5 luglio al 27 settembre, con traversate di 15-30 minuti verso l'Isola Maggiore da Passignano e da Tuoro Navaccia. La crisi idrica del lago ha pero' sospeso il collegamento da Castiglione del Lago e, dal 29 giugno 2026, tutto il servizio per l'Isola Polvese. Chi sbarca all'Isola Maggiore paga una tassa di sbarco di 3 euro dal 1 marzo al 31 ottobre 2026 e 2 euro nel resto dell'anno. | [Busitalia - Sita Nord (Gruppo FS)](https://www.fsbusitalia.it/it/umbria/orari-linee-umbria/orari-servizi-navigazione-umbria.html); [doc 2](https://www.fsbusitalia.it/it/umbria/titoli-di-viaggio-tariffe-umbria/biglietti-tariffe-servizi-navigazione-umbria.html) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Il Parco regionale del Lago Trasimeno, istituito nel 1995, si estende su 13.200 ettari in cinque comuni; il lago e' il maggiore dell'Italia peninsulare e il quarto italiano per estensione, con tre isole. | [Regione Umbria](https://www.regione.umbria.it/parco-regionale-del-lago-trasimeno); [Regione Umbria - Parco del Lago Trasimeno](https://www.regione.umbria.it/documents/18/2512711/Trasimeno_turismo_giu_15.pdf/754fd253-e5a9-427e-9b1b-2ad66afb126c) | medium | 2030-12-31 |
| Il Lago Trasimeno ha una superficie dello specchio d'acqua di 124-128 km2 e una profondita' molto ridotta, variabile fra 3 e 6 metri. | [Regione Umbria](https://www.regione.umbria.it/parco-regionale-del-lago-trasimeno); [Regione Umbria - Parco del Lago Trasimeno](https://www.regione.umbria.it/documents/18/2512711/Trasimeno_turismo_giu_15.pdf/754fd253-e5a9-427e-9b1b-2ad66afb126c) | medium | 2028-12-31 |
| Lo zero idrometrico del Lago Trasimeno e' fissato dalla Regione Umbria alla quota di 257,33 m s.l.m., riferimento usato per la batimetria e per la misura del livello del lago. | [Regione Umbria - Open Data Umbria](https://dati.regione.umbria.it/dataset/batimetria-lago-trasimeno) | medium | 2030-12-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/region.umbria.v2.1600.jpg
Author: Enrico Strocchi from Forlì, Italy. License: CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castelluccio_di_Norcia_-_Fioritura_(30893706097).jpg

## Other languages

- it: https://myitalia.it/it/nature-and-parks/in-umbria.md
- es: https://myitalia.it/es/nature-and-parks/in-umbria.md
- fr: https://myitalia.it/fr/nature-and-parks/in-umbria.md
- de: https://myitalia.it/de/nature-and-parks/in-umbria.md