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The Valcatoio Waterfall in Isola del Liri: the industrial branch of the river
In the Fluvial Park of Isola del Liri, in the province of Frosinone, the Liri River splits into two branches when it reaches the Boncompagni-Viscogliosi Castle. The left branch creates the spectacular Cascata Grande (Great Waterfall), the right branch the Cascata Valcatoio (Valcatoio Waterfall). They are both a 27-meter vertical drop, but the latter is not in free-fall: the water flows down a slope of approximately 160 metres.
The name tells the story
The name "Valcatoio" derives from valchiera, the machinery used for fulling (or milling) wool. Right here, when the Boncompagni family had control of the lordship (Dukes of Sora from 1580 to 1786), the first textile factories came into being. Water was not the backdrop, it was the mill’s engine: for centuries, it powered mills and industrial plants (opifici), and even today the river's flow is harnessed for hydroelectric production.
How to get there
From Corso Roma, you can walk along the Fluvial Park trail, passing the remains of ancient paper-making machines and old mill paddles, until you reach the foot of the waterfall.
