Tartaro-Canalbianco

Tartaro-Canalbianco is a river of the Veneto region of Italy; the upper part of its course is in the province of Verona and is known by the name of Tartaro; the lower part of its course is most in the province of Rovigo and is known by the name of Canal Bianco or Canalbianco ("White Canal" in both Italian and Venetan). It is the only river whose course runs between the Adige river and the Po river and flows into the Adriatic Sea.

It rises in the hills to the southeast of the Lago di Garda and its former lower course had roughly followed what is currently the lower course of the Adigetto Canal until the bursting of the Cucca banks in 589; it had been known by the Latin name of Tartarus (Plin. iii. 16. s. 20) along its whole course until then.

Since the bursting of the Cucca banks its lower course has roughly followed what was the former lower course of the Mincio river, and it has been known by the name of Canal Bianco since the canalization of its stream; currently it flows by the modern Adria; it communicates, by canals, with the Po river and the Adige river.

Adria (Greek: polytonic|Ἀδρίας) is the ancient name of a river mentioned by Hecataeus ("ap." Steph. Byz. "s. v."), and by Theopompus ("ap." Strabo vii. p. 317); it is called by Ptolemy polytonic|Ἀτριανὸς ποταμός, and must probably be a former channel of the Po delta passing by Adria; the current course of the Canal Bianco passing by Adria must probably follow the same course.

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