The Clanio (also: ''Lagno''; grc, Γλάνις; la, Clanius) is a river on the

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

n plain, southern Italy, noted in antiquity. It rises in the Apennines near Avella, flows past

Acerra Acerra () is a town and ''comune'' of Campania, southern Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, about northeast of the capital in Naples. It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain. History Acerra is one of the most ancient cities of the regio ...

and discharges into the

Tyrrhenian Sea The Tyrrhenian Sea (; it, Mar Tirreno , french: Mer Tyrrhénienne , sc, Mare Tirrenu, co, Mari Tirrenu, scn, Mari Tirrenu, nap, Mare Tirreno) is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenian pe ...

about south of the

Volturno The Volturno (ancient Latin name Volturnus, from ''volvere'', to roll) is a river in south-central Italy. Geography It rises in the Abruzzese central Apennines of Samnium near Castel San Vincenzo (province of Isernia, Molise) and flows southe ...

. The Greek origins of its name are linked to the abundance of

violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Viol ...

s on its banks, as cited in Giulianus Maius's treatise ''De priscorum proprietate verborum V. Clanius'': ''Clanius fluvius Campaniae prope Acerras a χλανις idest viola, qua ejus ripae abundant''. The town of Acerrae frequently suffered severely from the ravages of its waters during floods. At other times their stagnation rendered the country unhealthy; hence in the seventeenth century the stream was diverted into a canal or artificial course, called '' il regio Lagno''. This is divided into two streams near its mouth, the one of which flows direct into the sea, and is known as ''Foce dei Lagni'', the other takes a more southerly direction, and joins, or rather forms, a marshy lake called the ''Lago di Patria'' (the ancient Literna Palus), the outlet of which into the sea, about miles south of the former branch, called the ''Foce di Patria''. This is evidently the same which was known in ancient times as the river ''Liternus ternus'', and appears to have been then the principal, if not the only outlet of the Clanius, as Strabo, who describes the coast of Campania minutely, does not notice the latter river.

References

Drainage basins of the Tyrrhenian Sea Classical geography Geography of Campania Rivers of the Province of Avellino Rivers of the Province of Caserta Rivers of Italy {{Italy-geo-stub