The Merse is an Italian river, a right tributary of the

Ombrone The Ombrone (Latin: ''Umbro'') is a long river in Tuscany, central Italy. The Ombrone's source is at San Gusmè, near Castelnuovo Berardenga, on the south-eastern side of the Monti del Chianti. After a twisting route, it receives the waters of t ...

. It runs through

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

for a distance of about 70 km and is the river of the

Val di Merse Val di Merse is one of the regions of the province of Siena, in Tuscany, on the border with the Upper Maremma. The territory comprises the area between the rivers Farma and Merse. Notable monuments in the area include the Abbey of San Galgano. Vi ...

. Its sources are near Poggio Croce di Prata and Poggio di Montieri in the range of hills known as the

Colline Metallifere The Colline Metallifere (), or the Metalliferous Hills ("Metal-bearing Hills"), are a mountain-hill group in the Tuscan Antiapennine, in central Italy. They occupy the central-western part of Tuscany, divided between the provinces of Livorno, ...

. From here it takes a north-easterly direction for the first half of its course before turning sharply to the south-east. At Pontiella it receives from the right the waters of the

Farma ''The Farm'' is a reality competition television franchise created by the Swedish producer Strix. Sold to more than 40 countries, ''The Farm'' is one of their most popular formats, including '' Survivor'', '' The Bar'' or ''Fame Factory''. In s ...

, a

torrent Torrent or torrents may refer to: * A fast flowing stream Animals * Torrent duck, a species of the family Anatidae * Torrent fish * Torrent frog, various unrelated frogs * Torrent robin, a bird species * Torrent salamander, a family of sala ...

born at

Torniella Torniella is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Roccastrada, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 323.Ombrone The Ombrone (Latin: ''Umbro'') is a long river in Tuscany, central Italy. The Ombrone's source is at San Gusmè, near Castelnuovo Berardenga, on the south-eastern side of the Monti del Chianti. After a twisting route, it receives the waters of t ...

at Pian di Rocca which lies half-way between the

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...

Bagni di Petriolo Bagni (Italian for "baths") may refer to: Places * Bagni, a ''frazione'' in Contursi Terme, Salerno, Italy * Bagni, a ''frazione'' in Nocera Umbra, Perugia, Italy * Bagni di Craveggia, a ''frazione'' in Craveggia, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Italy * Bagn ...

to the west and

Castiglione del Bosco Castiglione may refer to: Places Italy Many of which were simply called ''Castiglione'' prior to the unification of Italy in the 19th century: ;Abruzzo * Castiglione a Casauria, in the province of Pescara * Castiglione della Valle (now Colledar ...

to the east. The river has recently suffered from sulphurous

pollutants A pollutant or novel entity is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (i.e. minerals or extracted compounds like oi ...

deriving from the old and neglected mine-workings in the upper part of its course. Fish are far less plentiful than in the past, which may be put down to the exploitation of its waters for irrigation during the summer months; nevertheless there are many

cyprinids Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest vert ...

, and

pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

are also found. The white mill which gives its name to the

Mulino Bianco Barilla G. e R. Fratelli S.p.A. is an Italian multinational food company. It is the world's largest pasta producer. History The company was founded in 1877 as a bakery shop in Parma, Italy by Pietro Barilla Sr. The company expanded in 1908, ...

biscuit manufacturers is located on the upper course of the river: it was constructed in the early 13th century by monks from the nearby

abbey of Serena An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conc ...

External links

L'inquinamento del Merse

Rivers of the Province of Grosseto Rivers of the Province of Siena Rivers of Italy {{Italy-river-stub