Gorghi di Trecenta, Protected wetland in Trecenta, Italy.
Gorghi di Trecenta is a cluster of eight private ponds in the municipality of Trecenta, ranging from 3 to 15 metres deep. The largest, Gorgo della Sposa, covers about 7 hectares and is split into two basins by the Sariano–Trecenta road; the deepest, Gorgo Bianco, reaches 13 metres. Gorgo Gàspera is bordered by an 18th-century manor court with a four-storey tower.
The pools formed from ancient flooding events of the Tartaro River and appear on maps dating to the 1600s. By the early 1800s, these water bodies were already documented during the Napoleonic period.
The Gorgo della Sposa takes its name from a local legend: a girl in love with a poor boy chose to die in its waters rather than marry the rich man her family had promised her to, and her laments are said to be heard on moonless nights. Other traditions hold that the pools are divine punishment for wicked ancient towns whose submerged bells can still be heard at night. The Gorgo della Sposa and its legend have inspired local painters and poets.
The eight pools are all privately owned, so they are viewed from the surrounding argine roads rather than entered. The Gorgo della Sposa, split in two basins by the Sariano-Trecenta road, is the largest and easiest to see from the embankment. The Gorgo Magherino is the only one outside the protected site.
These pools receive continuous water from underground springs connected to an ancient branch of the Po River. This hidden water supply system allows the pools to maintain water levels even during dry periods.
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