The Vara is a river of the

Province of La Spezia A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...

, north-west

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 re ...

Geography

The river runs through

Varese Ligure Varese Ligure ( lij, Vaise ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of La Spezia in the Italian region Liguria, located about east of Genoa and about northwest of La Spezia. Varese Ligure borders the following municipalities: Albareto, ...

Brugnato Brugnato ( lij, Brugnæ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of La Spezia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southeast of Genoa and about 15 km northwest of La Spezia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,205 ...

Borghetto di Vara Borghetto di Vara ( lij, O Borghetto de Væa, locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of La Spezia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southeast of Genoa and about northwest of La Spezia. Borghetto di Vara borders the ...

and Castiglione di Vara. At it is the longest river in Liguria. The main source of the river is on

Monte Zatta Monte may refer to: Places Argentina * Argentine Monte, an ecoregion * Monte Desert * Monte Partido, a ''partido'' in Buenos Aires Province Italy * Monte Bregagno * Monte Cassino * Montecorvino (disambiguation) * Montefalcione Portugal * Monte ...

; for much of its course it flows in a southeasterly direction, parallel to the

Riviera di levante The Italian Riviera or Ligurian Riviera ( it, Riviera ligure; lij, Rivêa lìgure) is the narrow coastal strip in Italy which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinally ...

, in the valley which takes its name: the

Val di Vara The Vara is a river of the Province of La Spezia in Liguria, north-west Italy. Geography The river runs through Varese Ligure, Brugnato, Borghetto di Vara and Castiglione di Vara. At it is the longest river in Liguria. The main source of t ...

. The river flows into the

Magra __NOTOC__ The Magra is a long river of Northern Italy, which runs through Pontremoli, Filattiera, Villafranca in Lunigiana and Aulla in the province of Massa-Carrara (Tuscany); Santo Stefano di Magra, Vezzano Ligure, Arcola, Sarzana and Ame ...

, as a right tributary, at Fornola within the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

Santo Stefano di Magra Santo Stefano di Magra ( lij, San Steva, Lunigiano egl, Sa' Steu) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of La Spezia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southeast of Genoa and about northeast of La Spezia. It is located near ...

History

The ''Département du Vara'' or ''Dipartimento del Vara'' of

Ligurian Republic The Ligurian Republic ( it, Repubblica Ligure, lij, Repubbrica Ligure) was a French client republic formed by Napoleon on 14 June 1797. It consisted of the old Republic of Genoa, which covered most of the Ligurian region of Northwest Italy, and ...

took its name at the end of the 18th century from the river.

References

Rivers of Italy Rivers of Liguria Rivers of the Province of La Spezia Tributaries of the Magra Rivers of the Apennines Braided rivers in Italy {{Italy-river-stub