Chiana River

Chiana River, river in central Italy. The Chiana River rises near Arezzo, flows between the Arno and Tiber rivers, and passes through a wide valley (the Chiana Valley) and a lake (Chiusi Lake). It receives the Paglia River near Orvieto and has a total length of about 50 miles (80 km). In prehistoric times the valley was occupied by the Arno, which then flowed to the Tiber. When a natural dam formed by alluvial deposits diverted the Arno to the northwest, the Chiana drained to the Tiber; but another natural dam at Chiusi prevented proper drainage, and during medieval times the Chiana valley became marshy and malarial. In 1788 detailed engineering plans made by Vittorio Fossombroni were put into effect, and the work was completed between 1826 and 1838. The watershed was moved southward, and, as a result, the Chiana valley drains partly to the Arno and partly to the Tiber. Almost entirely reclaimed for cultivation, the valley now forms a fertile and productive agricultural region.