Sorgenti del Timavo

Timavo Spring - Timavo Resurgence - Bocche del fiume Timavo


Useful Information

the western spring.
Location: San Giovanni di Duino, near the Church of San Giovanni in Tuba.
Open: no restrictions.
[2022]
Fee: free.
[2022]
Classification: KarstKarst spring
Light: n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:
Address:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History

178 BC Aulio Manlio Vulsone started his war against the Istrians in the area of the springs.
401 the Visigoths led by Alarico entered Italy here and beat general Stilicone.
1841 Abisso di Trebiciano discovered.
~1900 connection proofed by dye tracing experiments.
World War I important front between Italy and Austria.

Description

the church San Giovanni Timavo.

The Sorgenti del Timavo (spring of the Timavo) are a famous place. Located in an area, which was inhabited by man for millennia, the huge spring always was an important place to collect drinking water. The location, so close to the Mediterranean Sea made it very important for ships, who used it to refill their water reserve.

the middle spring.

The spring is located in San Giovanni di Duino, at the Church of San Giovanni in Tuba. This church was built in the 15th century on the ruins of an early Christian basilica. The place was important during Roman times, when the Via Germana (German road) which linked Aquileia to Trieste, passed through here.

When visiting the Timavo spring, follow the road SS 14 along the coast, from Trieste north towards Aquileia. There is a modern church with a campanile on the right side, then there is a sign to the left for "Chiesa Gotica di San Giovanni Timavo" and right below a sign to the "risorgive del Timavo/Timavski zliv". So close at the Slovenian border, the signs are bilangual. Turning left you will soon find a huge parking lot. A path leads through shady trees to the gothic church. The church is closed except for service, to protect the art inside.

The springs are open all the time, and definitely a pleasant place on a hot summer day. There are three springs, the eastern, middle and western spring. The first two are huge turquoise pools, the eastern spring is covered by bushes. The blueish colour of the water is typical for water with a high content of limestone.

The earliest systematic exploration of the underground path of Timavo river were made in the 19th century. Water searchers looked for water and tried to solve one of the most fascinating mysteries of hydrology. Speleologists discovered and explored numerous caves, like the Abisso di Trebiciano, the Grotta dei Morti (Grotto of the Deads), the Abisso dei Serpenti (Serpents Abyss), and the ShowcaveŠkocjanske Jame. At first the connection between Reka in Slovenia and the Timavo was only a guess, just because Reka was the only big river entering the area. But at the beginning of the 20th century the first dye tracing experiments proofed the connection. The tracers were dye, radioactive substances, and also eels.



Sorgenti del Timavo Gallery