Adige

The Adige (German: Etsch; Venetian: Àdexe; Romansh: Adisch; Ladin: Adesc; Latin: Athesis; Ancient Greek: Ἄθεσις) is an Italian river that starts in the Alps in the province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland, flowing through most of Northeast Italy to the Adriatic Sea.

Adige Etsch (German) Àdexe (Venetian) Adige (Italian) Adisch (Romansh) Adesc (Ladin)
The Adige in Verona
Map of the Adige River
Etymology	Latin Athesis, from Celtic *yt-ese, "the water"
Location
Country	Italy
Physical characteristics
Source	Reschen Pass
- location	Graun im Vinschgau, South Tyrol, Italy
- coordinates	46°50′04″N 10°30′53″E
- elevation	1,520 m (4,990 ft)
Mouth	Adriatic Sea
- location	Italy
- coordinates	45°8′59″N 12°19′13″E
Length	410 km (250 mi)
Basin size	12,100 km2 (4,700 sq mi)
Discharge
- average	235 m3/s (8,300 cu ft/s)

It is the second Italian river by length after the Po, the third for its watershed after the Po and the Tiber, and the fourth by its mean yearly discharge after the Po, the Ticino and the Tiber.

Geography

The Adige river has a length of 410 km (254.8 mi) and a drainage basin with an area of 12,200 km² (4,710 sq mi).^[1]

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 205 m³/s (7,200 cu ft/s) at Boara Pisani, a comune in the Padua province near the mouth of the river.^[2]

Average monthly discharge (m³/s) at Boara Pisani (1961 - 1970)^[2]

Course

The Adige starts in the Reschen Pass in the comune of Graun im Vinschgau, South Tyrol province, at an altitude of about 1,550 m (5,085 ft) close to the borders with Austria and Switzerland. First, it flows to the south until the confluence with the Ram river and then turns to the east. At Merano, the Adige is joined by the Passirio river and turns to the southeast; in Bolzano, it is joined by the Isarco, its main tributary. In the confluence with the Tasso river, the Adige flows to the south and, then, from Badia Polesine, it turns to the east and flows into the Adriatic Sea to the south of the mouth of the Brenta river and to the north of the mouth of the Po river.^[1]

The valley of the Adige gets several names: Venosta valley between the source and Merano, Adige valley between Merano and Trento, Vallagarina between Trento and Verona and, last, Padana valley between Verona and the mouth.

Main tributaries

The main tributaries are:

Tributary	Length (km)	Joins the Adige in:
Ram	24.7	Glorenza
Passirio	42.6	Merano
Isarco	95,5	Bolzano
Noce	46	Zambana
Avisio	89.4	Lavis
Fersina	30	Trento
Alpone	38	Albaredo d'Adige

Gallery

• 
  The Adige in the Vallagarina valley.
• 
  The Roman bridge over the Adige, Verona.
• 
  The Adige in Verona.
• 
  The Adige near Badia Polesine.
• 
  Mouth of the Adige.

Related pages

• List of rivers of Italy
• List of rivers of Switzerland