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  • Isola del Liri – Italian Notes

Isola del Liri – A town with two waterfalls

Isola del Liri is an inland island in Lazio about 100 km south of Rome. And the only Italian town with two waterfalls within the old city limits.



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We would never have discovered Isola del Liri without local guidance. Our original plan was to go direct from Frosinone to Cassino, but on the way out of the hotel I asked the friendly concierge, if there were any particular sights he would recommend, and he mentioned Isola del Liri and the lake Posta Fibreno.

The name in itself seemed intriguing. I have always had a weakness for waterfalls. And it was virtually on the way or only a short detour from the way to Cassino, so of course we had to check it out. And the town turned out to be exactly as charming and poetically beautiful as the name.

An inland island

Isola del Liri – Italian Notes

One of the two waterfalls in Isola del Liri

Isola del Liri is in fact an island situated 70 km inland from the sea.

The town is totally surrounded by water from the river Liri which forks out northeast of the city only to merge again a few kilometers further south.

The island has been known from pre-Roman times. It has been mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Dante. Some claim Cicero, the writer who has tortured every student of Latin, had his villa right outside town. And for many years it was the centre of the mid-Italian paper industry.

Resurrection

Sadly, the town and the area suffered severe destruction during WWII, but Isola del Liri has recovered. In 2008 it was classified as ‘area di elevato benessere, istruzione superiore e sistema locale organizzato’, which is a mark of distinction for Italian municipalities indicating that the 12 000 people living on the island are doing well in terms of education, economy and infrastructure.

So you do not have to sit at a café enjoying the view of Cascata Grande with a vertical fall of 27 metres to find Isola del Liri attractive. But it definitely helps. And after a short walk along the main street through the historical centre to the other smaller Cascata del Valcatoio waterfall I was whirled along and wanted to stay in Isola del Liri for as long as possible.

Other places to visit in south Lazio

Some Terracina history

Eating out near Frosinone

Italian villas and gardens

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25 replies
  1. Sophie
    Sophie says:
    March 27, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    I love waterfalls, too. This island sounds beautiful and unexpected. How would you get there with public transport? Train from Rome?

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      April 8, 2013 at 12:31 pm

      You can take the train to Monte Cassino or Frosinone and move on by bus, and I’m sure you’d have plenty of time to enjoy the trip:)

      Reply
  2. Mary {The World Is A Book}
    Mary {The World Is A Book} says:
    March 28, 2013 at 9:20 am

    Beautiful photo! This town looks like a wonderful place to visit and stay. I am fascinated with waterfalls too and try to visit as many as we can. It’s great to hear that it has recovered. I’d stay as long as possible here too.

    Reply
  3. Leigh
    Leigh says:
    March 28, 2013 at 9:14 pm

    What a treat to find something like this. It’s the first I’ve ever heard of the place and one to remember for future trips.

    Reply
  4. InsideJourneys
    InsideJourneys says:
    March 31, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    I have a weakness for waterfalls and this one looks so refreshing. It’s also interesting that the town is surrounded by the river – that must make it very beautiful and restful. I wouldn’t want to leave either. Great find, Mette!

    Reply
  5. Arianwen
    Arianwen says:
    April 22, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    Wow, it’s stunning. I’d never even heard of it before. You don’t often see a waterfall in the centre of a built-up area.

    Reply
  6. Laurel
    Laurel says:
    May 16, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Love hearing about these smaller places that are lesser well known and that it’s so close to Rome. The waterfalls look lovely.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      May 20, 2013 at 11:11 am

      It is a lovely place, just waiting to be enjoyed.

      Reply
  7. Dan
    Dan says:
    July 11, 2013 at 2:02 am

    What a beautiful little town. Waterfalls… get you everytime

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      July 11, 2013 at 3:48 pm

      Right – they have a strange magnetism.

      Reply
  8. Sofia
    Sofia says:
    July 20, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    A town with 2 waterfalls is quite rare. What a beautiful photo you did.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      July 23, 2013 at 5:40 pm

      Yes – nature appears ever so photogenic:)

      Reply
    • ottavio
      ottavio says:
      July 27, 2013 at 11:12 pm

      isola del liri have 3 waterfalls

      Reply
  9. Turkey's For Life
    Turkey's For Life says:
    August 2, 2013 at 7:25 am

    Oh wow, this is really close to where we stayed, near Cassino. We’re hoping to go back again maybe next year so we’ll drag our friends along to here for a day out. I’m sure they don’t know about it. :)
    Julia

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      August 5, 2013 at 5:27 pm

      Good idea to turn Isola del Liri and the near-by abbey into a special outing. We almost missed Monte Cassino because we made far too many stops along the way.

      Reply
  10. Sandra Burnage
    Sandra Burnage says:
    September 8, 2013 at 9:18 am

    I have loved that waterfall ever since I ‘ve seen it as a small child. My Mum was born there, and moved to the UK, and now we have a family house there just a couple of miles away, every time I see it, it is beautiful. Remember the ancient town of Arpino only a few miles away, built approx 1600 beautiful too.
    The mountains behind Isola del Liri, Sora and Arpino, breath taking!! Going back soon to my second home……

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      September 8, 2013 at 8:26 pm

      What an absolutely charming place to have a second home. I agree about the mountains and Sora and Arpino are on my to-do list too.

      Reply
  11. DANTE
    DANTE says:
    February 18, 2014 at 5:25 pm

    My family is from here, I cannot wait to visit..

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 19, 2014 at 8:12 pm

      Understandably.

      Reply
  12. mark
    mark says:
    January 12, 2018 at 7:11 pm

    I am going to make sure people visiting my site know about this town as it looks like a great place to visit

    Reply
    • Mette
      Mette says:
      January 16, 2018 at 6:12 pm

      Thanks.

      Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. Isola del Liri Italy – A town with two wa... says:
    June 21, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    […] Isola del Liri is an inland island about 100 km south of Rome. And the only Italian town with two waterfalls within the old city limits. […]The name in itself seemed intriguing. I have always had a weakness for waterfalls. And it was virtually on the way or only a short detour from the way to Cassino, so of course we had to check it out. And the town turned out to be exactly as charming and poetically beautiful as the name.Isola del Liri is in fact an island situated 70 km inland from the sea.The town is totally surrounded by water from the river Liri which forks out northeast of the city only to merge again a few kilometers further south. […]So you do not have to sit at a café enjoying the view of Cascata Grande with a vertical fall of 27 metres to find Isola del Liri attractive. But it definitely helps. And after a short walk along the main street through the historical centre to the other smaller Cascata del Valcatoio waterfall I was whirled along and wanted to stay in Isola del Liri for as long as possible.Read more  […]

    Reply
  2. Isola del Liri Italy – A town with two waterfalls | Great Getaways | Scoop.it says:
    April 2, 2013 at 3:59 pm

    […] Isola del Liri is an inland island about 100 km south of Rome. And the only Italian town with two waterfalls within the old city limits. […]The name in itself seemed intriguing. I have always had a weakness for waterfalls. And it was virtually on the way or only a short detour from the way to Cassino, so of course we had to check it out. And the town turned out to be exactly as charming and poetically beautiful as the name.Isola del Liri is in fact an island situated 70 km inland from the sea.The town is totally surrounded by water from the river Liri which forks out northeast of the city only to merge again a few kilometers further south. […]So you do not have to sit at a café enjoying the view of Cascata Grande with a vertical fall of 27 metres to find Isola del Liri attractive. But it definitely helps. And after a short walk along the main street through the historical centre to the other smaller Cascata del Valcatoio waterfall I was whirled along and wanted to stay in Isola del Liri for as long as possible.Read more  […]

    Reply
  3. Isola del Liri Italy – A town with two waterfalls | Good Things From Italy - Le Cose Buone d'Italia | Scoop.it says:
    March 28, 2013 at 10:39 am

    […] Isola del Liri is an inland island about 100 km south of Rome. And the only Italian town with two waterfalls within the old city limits. […]The name in itself seemed intriguing. I have always had a weakness for waterfalls. And it was virtually on the way or only a short detour from the way to Cassino, so of course we had to check it out. And the town turned out to be exactly as charming and poetically beautiful as the name.Isola del Liri is in fact an island situated 70 km inland from the sea.The town is totally surrounded by water from the river Liri which forks out northeast of the city only to merge again a few kilometers further south. […]So you do not have to sit at a café enjoying the view of Cascata Grande with a vertical fall of 27 metres to find Isola del Liri attractive. But it definitely helps. And after a short walk along the main street through the historical centre to the other smaller Cascata del Valcatoio waterfall I was whirled along and wanted to stay in Isola del Liri for as long as possible. Read more  […]

    Reply
  4. Isola del Liri Italy – A town with two waterfalls | Italia Mia | Scoop.it says:
    March 28, 2013 at 10:14 am

    […] Isola del Liri is an inland island about 100 km south of Rome. And the only Italian town with two waterfalls within the old city limits. […]The name in itself seemed intriguing. I have always had a weakness for waterfalls. And it was virtually on the way or only a short detour from the way to Cassino, so of course we had to check it out. And the town turned out to be exactly as charming and poetically beautiful as the name.Isola del Liri is in fact an island situated 70 km inland from the sea.The town is totally surrounded by water from the river Liri which forks out northeast of the city only to merge again a few kilometers further south. […]So you do not have to sit at a café enjoying the view of Cascata Grande with a vertical fall of 27 metres to find Isola del Liri attractive. But it definitely helps. And after a short walk along the main street through the historical centre to the other smaller Cascata del Valcatoio waterfall I was whirled along and wanted to stay in Isola del Liri for as long as possible.Read more  […]

    Reply

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