Ausa (river)

The Ausa is a small river that is about 17 kilometres, or 11 miles, long. It flows through part of northern San Marino and Emilia–Romagna in Italy. This river is important because it helps shape the land and connects different places.

The river starts at Monte Titano in the center of San Marino. From there, it flows northeast past the town of Serravalle. It then crosses into the Italian province of Rimini near a place called Dogana.

As the Ausa continues, it is guided through special storm drains in the city of Rimini before it finally flows into a bigger river called the Marecchia. Along its path, the Ausa passes through the lowest point in San Marino, which is 55 metres, or 180 feet, above sea level, right where the river leaves the country.

Course

The Ausa River starts in San Marino and flows northeast through towns like Serravalle and Dogana. It forms part of the border between Italy and San Marino before continuing east past Rovereta.

Before the 1960s, the river ran south of Rimini and turned north-east to empty at Piazzale Kennedy. After a change in its path finished in 1972, the Ausa now flows northwest along cemented banks and ends in the Marecchia River near where the Marecchia was moved.

History

The Ausa River used to flow near the city of Rimini. Long ago, the ancient Romans called it the Aprusa. It marked the edge of an old Roman town but wasn’t big enough to protect the city on its own, so walls were built to help.

Over time, the river changed its path. In the 1960s, it was moved to run beside a road and empty into another river called the Marecchia. Today, the old path of the Ausa is used as a place for parks and green spaces.