Furlo Pass
Encyclopedia
The Furlo Pass is a gorge on the ancient Roman road Via Flaminia
in the Marche
region of central Italy
, where it passes near the Candigliano river, an affluence of the Metauro
.
The gorge was formed between the Pietralata (889 m) and Paganuccio (976 m) Mounts by the waters of the Candigliano, which, until in 1922 a dam
, ran at high speed in the area. Since 2001 it is included into a State Natural Reserve with the same name.
The Roman emperor Vespasian
had a gallery built here to facilitate passage on the Via Flaminia in the narrowest point of the gorge (hence the name, from the Latina forulum, meaning "small hole"); next to it, is a similar but smaller hole of Etruscan times. The gallery has a length of 38.30 meters and a height of 5.95 meters. During the Gothic Wars (6th century), the Ostrogoth King Totila
had the pass fortified, but his troops were ousted by the Roman general Belisarius
. The Lombards
conquered the pass between 570 and 578, and destroyed the fortifications.
In the 1930, a profile of Benito Mussolini
was sculpted on the slopes of Pietralata Mount, which was destroyed by partisans during World War II
. In the 1980s, traffic in the Furlo gallery was bypassed by the construction of two highway galliers.
Via Flaminia
The Via Flaminia was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to Ariminum on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and due to the ruggedness of the mountains was the major option the Romans had for travel between Etruria, Latium and Campania and the Po Valley...
in the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
region of central 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...
, where it passes near the Candigliano river, an affluence of the Metauro
Metauro
The Metauro is a river of the Marche, central Italy. It rises in the Apennine Mountains and runs east for 110 km ....
.
The gorge was formed between the Pietralata (889 m) and Paganuccio (976 m) Mounts by the waters of the Candigliano, which, until in 1922 a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, ran at high speed in the area. Since 2001 it is included into a State Natural Reserve with the same name.
The Roman emperor Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
had a gallery built here to facilitate passage on the Via Flaminia in the narrowest point of the gorge (hence the name, from the Latina forulum, meaning "small hole"); next to it, is a similar but smaller hole of Etruscan times. The gallery has a length of 38.30 meters and a height of 5.95 meters. During the Gothic Wars (6th century), the Ostrogoth King Totila
Totila
Totila, original name Baduila was King of the Ostrogoths from 541 to 552 AD. A skilled military and political leader, Totila reversed the tide of Gothic War, recovering by 543 almost all the territories in Italy that the Eastern Roman Empire had captured from his Kingdom in 540.A relative of...
had the pass fortified, but his troops were ousted by the Roman general Belisarius
Belisarius
Flavius Belisarius was a general of the Byzantine Empire. He was instrumental to Emperor Justinian's ambitious project of reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century previously....
. The Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
conquered the pass between 570 and 578, and destroyed the fortifications.
In the 1930, a profile of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
was sculpted on the slopes of Pietralata Mount, which was destroyed by partisans during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In the 1980s, traffic in the Furlo gallery was bypassed by the construction of two highway galliers.