Adda (river)

 ( Adda Basin ) 

The Adda (Latin: Abdua, or Addua; Lombard: Ada, or Adda) is a river in North Italy, a tributary of the Po River. It rises in the Alps near the border with Switzerland and flows through Lake Como. The Adda joins the Po near Castelnuovo Bocca d'Adda, a few kilometers upstream of Cremona. The river's length is . The highest point of the drainage basin is the summit of La Spedla (a subpeak of Piz Bernina), at .

Towns along the river include Bormio, Tirano, Sondrio, Bellagio and Lecco (both on Lake Como), Brivio and Lodi. The Poschiavino, a tributary, originates in Switzerland and flows through the town of Poschiavo.

---

Course The Adda's source is in the Alpisella valley near the head of the Fraele glen, within the Rhaetian Alps. Its flow is augmented by several smaller streams near Bormio. From there, it flows southwest, then west, through the Valtellina, passing Tirano, where the Poschiavino joins from the right, and Sondrio, where the Mallero joins, also from the right. This section of the Adda's course is unusual in Northern Italy, as it flows from east to west. The river flows into the northern end of Lake Como, contributing significantly to the lake's volume. Exiting the lake's southeastern (Lecco) arm, it crosses the Lombardy Plain. It receives water from the Brembo River and Serio River from the left, and ultimately joins the Po River.

The Trezzo sull'Adda Bridge, constructed in 1377, had a single arch of , the longest bridge arch built before the introduction of metal in bridge construction.

Charles S. Whitney (2025). 9780486429953, Courier Dover Publications. ISBN 9780486429953

The lower course of the Adda historically marked the border between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan, as established by the Treaty of Lodi in 1454. Several significant battles have been fought along its banks, including the Battle of Lodi in 1796, where Napoleon defeated Austrian forces. The bridgehead at Cassano d'Adda and its surrounding area have also been the site of multiple battles, including one in 1705 involving Prince Eugene of Savoy and the French, and another in 1799 where Alexander Suvorov led his forces across the river.

---

Tributaries The Adda has the following tributary (R on the right bank, L on the left, from source to mouth):

• Frodolfo (L)
• Bormina (R)
• Roasco (R)
• Rezzalasco (L)
• Lenasco (L)
• Poschiavino (R)
• Mallero (R)
• Masino (R)
• Bitto (L)
• Tartano (L)
• Mera (Lake Como, R)
• Livo (Lake Como, R)
• Liro (Lake Como, R)
• Albano (Lake Como, R)
• Pioverna (Lake Como, L)
• Breggia (Lake Como, R)
• Cosia (Lake Como, R)
• Fiumelatte (Lake Como, L)
• Brembo (L)
• Serio (L)

---

Gallery File:Leonardo traghetto.jpg|Ferry, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci File:Brivio.Adda.river2.jpg|The Adda river in Brivio File:Ponte sul Adda Paderno.jpg|San Michele Bridge across the Adda at Paderno File:0134 Map of Lake Como and the river Adda.jpg|17th century map of the Adda, from Lake Como to Trezzo

---

See also

• Val Pola landslide
• Battle of the Adda River (490 CE)

Post Comment