At 126 kilometres the
Serchio (in antiquity the
Auser) is the third longest river in the Italian region of
TuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, coming after the Arno (242 km) and the
OmbroneThe Ombrone is a 160 km long river in Tuscany, central Italy.The Ombrone's source is located near Castelnuovo Berardenga, on the south-eastern side of the Monti del Chianti...
(161 km). By mean rate of flow it is the second largest, following the Arno but preceding the Ombrone.
The principal source forms on the slopes of Monte Sillano (1,864 metres) and is joined by a secondary branch, the Serchio di Gramolazzo, at
Piazza al SerchioPiazza al Serchio is a comune in the Province of Lucca in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 90 km northwest of Florence and about 40 km northwest of Lucca....
.
The river then crosses
GarfagnanaGarfagnana is an historical region of Italy, today part of the province of Lucca in the Apennines, in northwest Tuscany, but before the unification of Italy it belonged to the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, ruled by the Este family. For a short time, in the 16th century, it was governed by the poet...
from north to south, from
SillanoSillano is a comune in the Province of Lucca in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 90 km northwest of Florence and about 45 km northwest of Lucca...
to a location beyond
Castelnuovo di GarfagnanaCastelnuovo di Garfagnana is a town and comune in the province of Lucca, Toscana, central Italy. It is located at rises at the confluence of the Serchio and the Turrite Secca river, close to the intersection among the roads passing through the Apennine Mountains and the Apuane Alps.The local...
; from here it continues through the Media Valle touching the municipal borders of the
ComuneIn 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
BargaBarga is a medieval town and comune of the province of Lucca in Tuscany, central Italy. It is home to around 10,000 people and is the chief town of the "Media Valle" of the Serchio.-Geography:...
and crossing the territory of
Borgo a MozzanoBorgo a Mozzano is a town and comune in the province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany .-Main sights:Borgo a Mozzano is dominated by the presence of Ponte della Maddalena also called "del Diavolo" . The Devil's Bridge is located on the SP2 one kilometer north of downtown...
. In this section of the river, which is dammed in a number of places, it receives from the right the waters of the Edron, Tùrrite Secca, Tùrrite di Gallicano, Turrite Cava and the Pedogna; and from the left those of the Fiume, the Castiglione, the Sillico, and its most important tributary the Lima. This last, which is born at the Passo dell'Abetone and collects the waters of the
ModeneseThe Province of Modena is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Modena.It has an area of 2,689 km², and a total population of 659,925 . There are 48 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Modena.At May 31, 2005, the main comuni by population...
and
PistoieseThe Province of Pistoia is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pistoia. It has an area of 965 km², and a total population of 268,503 . There are 22 communes in the province .-External links:...
high Apennines, forms a sub-basin in its own right and achieves a mean discharge of more than 20 cubic metres per second.
Having reached the plain of
LuccaLucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
, where it is joined by the torrent Freddana, the Serchio turns westwards, crosses the “straits”of Filettole, and enters the
Province of PisaThe Province of Pisa is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pisa.It has an area of 2,448 km², and a total population of 394,101 . There are 39 comuni in the province ....
. Here it runs through
San Giuliano TermeSan Giuliano Terme is a comune in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 60 km west of Florence and about 7 km northeast of Pisa.- Main sights :...
and
VecchianoVecchiano is a comune in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 70 km west of Florence and about 8 km north of Pisa...
before entering the
Tyrrhenian SeaThe Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
in the area of the Parco di San Rossore, a few kilometres to the north of
PisaPisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
.
The national road SS 12 (
AbetoneAbetone is a comune in the Province of Pistoia in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 80 km northwest of Florence and about 49 km northwest of Pistoia...
–
BrenneroBrennero may refer to:* Brenner, a village in South Tyrol* Brenner Pass...
) follows the course of the Serchio already to a Lucca's valley, after going up until
Bagni di LuccaBagni di Lucca is a comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the Province of Lucca with a population of c. 6,500.-History:Bagni di Lucca was known for its thermal springs since the Etruscan and Roman Ages....
;
from here until to the origins, from street to Capanne di
SillanoSillano is a comune in the Province of Lucca in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 90 km northwest of Florence and about 45 km northwest of Lucca...
and the step of Pradarena.
The localities that the river crosses are, in
GarfagnanaGarfagnana is an historical region of Italy, today part of the province of Lucca in the Apennines, in northwest Tuscany, but before the unification of Italy it belonged to the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, ruled by the Este family. For a short time, in the 16th century, it was governed by the poet...
:
Castelnuovo di GarfagnanaCastelnuovo di Garfagnana is a town and comune in the province of Lucca, Toscana, central Italy. It is located at rises at the confluence of the Serchio and the Turrite Secca river, close to the intersection among the roads passing through the Apennine Mountains and the Apuane Alps.The local...
,
BargaBarga is a medieval town and comune of the province of Lucca in Tuscany, central Italy. It is home to around 10,000 people and is the chief town of the "Media Valle" of the Serchio.-Geography:...
,
Bagni di LuccaBagni di Lucca is a comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the Province of Lucca with a population of c. 6,500.-History:Bagni di Lucca was known for its thermal springs since the Etruscan and Roman Ages....
; and in Lucchesia:
Borgo a MozzanoBorgo a Mozzano is a town and comune in the province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany .-Main sights:Borgo a Mozzano is dominated by the presence of Ponte della Maddalena also called "del Diavolo" . The Devil's Bridge is located on the SP2 one kilometer north of downtown...
and
LuccaLucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
.
External links