Tagliamento

The Tagliamento is a river in northeastern Italy that flows through the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and, in its lower course, into the Veneto region before reaching the Adriatic Sea. It rises in the Carnic Alps near the border with Austria and travels generally southeast across the alpine foothills and wide alluvial plains.

The river is about 170 to 180 kilometers long and is notable for its broad, meandering lower course. Its upper and middle reaches are alpine in character, with forested valleys and steeper gradients, while the middle and lower sections develop a wide floodplain and extensive wetlands. The river’s mouth opens into the Adriatic Sea, delivering water and sediment to a coastal area that supports marshes and lagoons.

Ecologically, the Tagliamento is valued for its relatively natural hydromorphology compared with many regulated rivers in Europe. The unconfined stretches support diverse habitats for fish, birds, and amphibians, and the lower valley and estuary area are important for migratory waterfowl. The river basin also sustains agricultural land and human settlements that have developed in step with the river’s seasonal flows.

In recent decades, the Tagliamento has been the focus of conservation and river-restoration efforts aimed at preserving its natural dynamics, floodplain ecosystems, and cultural landscapes. It is often cited as one of Europe’s better-preserved Alpine rivers and a symbol of free-flowing river processes in the region.