Before descending into Rome and becoming one of the most important and famous rivers in the world, the Tiber also passes through Umbria and its course is largely protected by a regional park that stretches over 7,000 hectares on land under the control of seven municipalities.
The river has been navigated and inhabited by man since the beginning of time. It was thanks to the river that the Romans managed to penetrate the homelands of the Umbrian and Etruscan populations and to create the basis for their colonization. The entire park is, in fact, dotted with archaeological remains and ancient hamlets. Orvieto is located near this area and the historic centre of Todi is included within the confines of the park. Human labour and intervention has not, in any case, managed to undermine the attractive harmony that has been established over the centuries with the natural, untamed environment. Indeed, in this case, the activities of man and the efforts of nature seem to work in symbiosis. The Lago di Corbara, an artificial basin used to generate electricity, winds its way inside the valleys, forming landscape peculiarities of rare beauty, such as the Gola del Forello. Going further downstream, the bends in the river merge and mingle, giving rise to a naturalistic, marsh-like oasis called Oasi d’Alviano, which is also artificial in nature and protected by the WWF. It is one of the main flocking points for birds during the migratory season.