The Mighty River Po

From its source in the mountains near the French border to its estuary on the Adriatic coast, the Po is the lifeline of the north-west, gathering in all the water that flows from the Apennines and the Alps. The river is prone to flooding and is polluted, so fresh water for agriculture and drinking come from thousands of wells dotted throughout this low-lying landscape. These natural springs and the fertile silt deposited by the river over centuries have led to the Po basin becoming the centre of Italian industry, with an almost continuous urban development stretching 550 km/342 miles from Turin to Trieste. Fields of crops fill the basin, as do large-scale food factories, which make this area one of Italy’s most important food producers.