The Toce () is a river in

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

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 ...

, which stretches the length of the

Val d'Ossola The Ossola (, also Valle Ossola or Val d’Ossola) is an area of Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Domodossola. Et ...

from the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

border to

Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest la ...

into which it debouches near Fondotoce in 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 ...

Verbania Verbania (, , ) is the most populous ''comune'' (municipality) and the capital city of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is situated on the shore of Lake Maggiore, about north-west of Milan and ...

. The river is long and is formed in the upper Val Formazza by the confluence of a number of torrents in the plain of Riale.

Geography

The source of one of these, the Gries, is situated on the Italian southern side of the

Gries Pass Gries Pass (2469 m.) (Italian: ''Passo del Gries'', German: ''Griespass'') is a mountain pass between Valais, Switzerland and Formazza, Italy. There is no road over the pass, from Nufenen Pass the paved road ends and a bridle path leads over ...

; another forms beneath the Passo di San Giacomo, others flow from little

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

lakes such as Lago Castel and Lago di Sabbione. South of La Frua the water of the river plummets over the

Cascata del Toce Cascata del Toce () or La Frua, also known as ''Frütt Fall'' in Walser dialect, is a waterfall on the river Toce, located in the municipality of Formazza, Piedmont, Italy, at 1675 m above the sea level. It takes the name from the river Toce. The ...

into the Formazza Valley, through which it flows before transversing Valle Antigorio after another series of cascades. Near

Crevola d'Ossola Crevoladossola is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Verbania. Crevoladossola borders the following municipalities: ...

the river

Diveria The Diveria (Walliser German: ''Churumm Bach'';In this part of the Haut-Valais, the language spoken is the Walliser German dialect. German: ''KrummBach'') is an Alpine river which flows through Switzerland ( Canton Valais) and Italy ( Provinc ...

flows into the Toce. At this point, the valley gets wider and is known as

. The Toce flows next to the capital of the valley,

Domodossola Domodossola (; Lombard: Dòm) is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola ...

, and then

Villadossola Villadossola (Piedmontese ''Vila d'Òssola'') is a town and ''comune'' of the Val d’Ossola in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont, northern Italy, some northeast of Turin. It stands just south of Domodossola, to the west of the Toce ...

and

Ornavasso Ornavasso (Ossolano: ''Urnavass'', Walser German: ''Urnafasch'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Verbania. Overview Or ...

. After a total of the Toce then flows into Lake Maggiore. The major tributaries are the

, Bogna, Melezzo Occidentale (joining it near

), Ovesca, Anza (near

Piedimulera Piedimulera is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Verbania. Piedimulera is described as a village located on the left bank of ...

), and the

Strona Strona is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northeast of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,217 and an area of .All demographic ...

(near

Gravellona Toce Gravellona Toce () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about west of Verbania Verbania (, , ) is the most populous ''comune'' (municipalit ...

History

In ancient times the Toce river was called Athisone or Atisone, from which the current name is derived. An old alternative spelling is also La Toccia (with feminine gender).

Notes

{{Authority control Rivers of the Alps