The Oreto is a 22-kilometre (14 mi) river in Sicily. Its source is located between Altofonte and Monreale, a few kilometers from Palermo. It gives the name to the Oreto Valley and crosses the south-east portion of the city before flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Oreto
Illustration of the Oreto River and Valley (1877)
Map
Location
CountryItaly
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationAltofonte-Monreale
 • elevationabout 1,050 m (3,440 ft)
MouthTyrrhenian Sea
 • coordinates
38°06′38″N 13°22′51″E / 38.1106°N 13.3808°E / 38.1106; 13.3808
Length22 km (14 mi)
Basin size129 km2 (50 sq mi)

Called "Wādī al-ʿAbbās" during the Islamic period, the river has had an important role in the history of Palermo. In the 12th century, in order to cross it, the Ammiratus ammiratorum George of Antioch built the Admiral's Bridge.[1]

References

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  1. ^ "Maria Antonietta Spadaro, Il Ponte dell'Ammiraglio a Palermo, Convegno WWF 27-28 giugno 2014: Conosciamo il fiume Oreto e la sua valle" (PDF).