The Ofanto (), known in ancient times as Aufidus or Canna, is a river in

southern Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the pe ...

that flows through the regions of

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

Basilicata it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

, and

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

, into the

Gulf of Manfredonia The Gulf of Manfredonia (Italian: ''Golfo di Manfredonia'') is a gulf on the east coast of Italy.''The Times'' (2003), ''Comprehensive Atlas of the World'' Eleventh Edition, Times Books, Plate 77 (Q4). It is part of the Adriatic Sea. The Monte Garg ...

near

Barletta Barletta () is a city, '' comune'' of Apulia, in south eastern Italy. Barletta is the capoluogo, together with Andria and Trani, of the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani. It has a population of around 94,700 citizens. The city's territory be ...

Geography

The river's source is on the

Irpinia Irpinia (Modern Latin ''Hirpinia'') is a geographical and cultural region of Southern Italy. It was the inland territory of the ancient '' Hirpini'' tribe, and its extent matches approximately today's province of Avellino. Geography The territo ...

Plateau, at above sea level, near

Nusco Nusco (Irpino: ) is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Avellino (Campania region) in the south of Italy, east of Naples, with c. 4,100 inhabitants. It is situated in the mountains between the valleys of the Calore Irpino and Ofanto Rive ...

and

Torella dei Lombardi Torella dei Lombardi is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy. History The town was firstly mentioned in the 9th century as ''Turella''. In 1980, along with many other settlements in the province and the neigh ...

, in the

province of Avellino The Province of Avellino ( it, Provincia di Avellino) is a province in the Campania region of Southern Italy. The area is characterized by numerous small towns and villages scattered across the province; only two towns have a population over 20,0 ...

. From there it runs southeast near

Lioni Lioni is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy. Located in western Irpinia, in the Monti Picentini natural park, the municipality borders with Bagnoli Irpino, Calabritto, Caposele, Morra De Sanctis, Nusc ...

before flowing into

Lago di Conza Lago di Conza is a reservoir in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is in the province of Avellino near the border with the province of Salerno and the province of Potenza. The Ofanto The Ofanto (), known in ancient times as Aufidus o ...

, an

artificial lake A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contr ...

. The river then forms the border between the province of Avellino and the

province of Potenza The Province of Potenza ( it, Provincia di Potenza; Potentino: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza. Geography It has an area of and a total population of 369,538 (as of 2017). There are ...

except for a small extension of the province of Avellino near

Calitri Calitri ( la, Caletrium or ; Irpino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. Overview Calitri is in Campania near the borders of the regions of Apulia and Basilicata. It is approximately above sea level so on ...

. The Atella flows into the Ofanto near this point as a right tributary of the river. The river curves north and flows near

Monteverde Monteverde is the twelfth canton of the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica. It is located in the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range. Roughly a four-hour drive from the Central Valley, Monteverde is one of the country's major ecotourism des ...

before forming the border between the

province of Foggia The Province of Foggia ( it, Provincia di Foggia ; Foggiano: ) is a province in the Apulia (Puglia) region of southern Italy. This province is also known as Daunia, after the Daunians, an Iapygian pre-Roman tribe living in Tavoliere plain, an ...

and the province of Potenza. It then curves east for a distance and a right tributary, the Olivento, flows into it in this area. The river curves northeast and then forms the border between the province of Foggia and the

province of Barletta-Andria-Trani The Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani is a province of Italy in the Apulia region. The establishment of the province took effect in June 2009, and Andria was appointed as its seat of government on 21 May 2010. It was created from 10 municipali ...

. The river flows near Posta Piana,

Canosa di Puglia Canosa di Puglia, generally known simply as Canosa ( nap, label= Canosino, Canaus), is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Apulia, southern Italy. It is located between Bari and Foggia, on the northwestern edge of the ...

San Ferdinando di Puglia San Ferdinando di Puglia is a town and '' comune'' in the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Twin towns * Lariano, Italy * Carapelle Carapelle ( Foggiano: ) is a town and ''comune'' belonging to the Prov ...

, and

Cannae Cannae (now Canne della Battaglia, ) is an ancient village of the Apulia region of south east Italy. It is a ''frazione'' (civil parish) of the '' comune'' (municipality) of Barletta. Cannae was formerly a bishopric, and is presently (2022) a L ...

before entering the

between Margherita di Savoia and

. The Locone enters the Ofanto south of

Cerignola Cerignola (; nap, label= Cerignolano, Ceregnòule ) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, southeast from the town of Foggia. It has the third-largest land area of any ''comune'' in Italy, at , after Rome and Ra ...

as a right tributary of the river. At the end of its journey to the sea, the river ends in a delta and an estuary. The River Ofanto can have a torrential flow at times, with major floods along its course in the autumn and winter, thanks to heavy rainfall, but in the summer its flow can be remarkably slight. Despite its considerable length and the extent of its basin, the average flow of water at the river mouth is fairly low, less than .

Gallery

File:PONTE OFANTO.png, Roman bridge of

File:Ponte Romano Monteverde.jpg, An ancient Roman bridge near

Monteverde, Campania Monteverde is a '' comune'' in the province of Avellino in Southern Italy. History In the 11th century, Monteverde became a bishopric seat and had a bishop until 1531, when the diocese of Monteverde was merged with the diocese of Canne. From 15 ...

File:Ofanto fiume.jpg, Through

Cairano Cairano (Irpino: ) is a town (commune) in the province of Avellino, Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_fo ...

File:Lungo L'ofanto (1870) - De Nittis.JPG, Oil painting Lungo l'Ofanto (1870) by

Giuseppe de Nittis Giuseppe De Nittis (February 25, 1846 – August 21, 1884)Efrem Gisella Calingaert. "De Nittis, Giuseppe." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 9 Aug. 2013. was one of the most important Italian painters of the 19th ...

(1848–1884), ,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

File:Peutingeriana Aufidus.JPG,

Tabula Peutingeriana ' (Latin for "The Peutinger Map"), also referred to as Peutinger's Tabula or Peutinger Table, is an illustrated ' (ancient Roman road map) showing the layout of the '' cursus publicus'', the road network of the Roman Empire. The map is a 13th-ce ...

showing ancient Aufidus and

Via Appia The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: ''Via Appia'') is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is indicated by its common name, ...

References

Adriatic Italian coast basins Rivers of the Province of Avellino Rivers of the Province of Potenza Rivers of the Province of Foggia Rivers of the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani Rivers of Italy {{Italy-river-stub