The hydrogeological history of the

Territory

Lower Pleistocene

from1.700.000

To 700.000

Years ago

Late 120.000/10.000 years ago

An uplifting movement progressively

gave origin to the ridges of the Cerbaie,

a series of hills which divide the original

big lake in two smaller ones: Lucca-

Montecarlo-Vinci and Firenze-Prato-

Pistoia.

Water withdraws and

two lakes form: Lake

Bientina and Lake

Fucecchio

N

S

WE

Bientina

Montuolo

In the Middle age due to the formation of the flatlands the river Auser (Serchio) divides in two branches in San Pietro a Vico.

Lunata

Cartina della piana di Lucca (Natali, 1997)

The Auser ( the bigger ): Marlia, Lunata, Antraccoli, Pieve San Paolo where it went through a new ramification.

The Auserculus (small Auser) touched Lucca from the North and from Borgo Giannotti it reached Montuolo, than it flowed into the Arno near Pisa.

A branch, went to the sout-west of Lucca to reach and flow into the Auserculus near Montuolo.

Another branch continued its course to the east towards Bientina and flowed (when it could) into the river Arno near Calcinaia.

Lucca

Pisa

In 1905 some expansion cases of the Bottaccio di Massa Pisana were made, into which even today the southern streams of the city flow.

Can.Ozzeri

An important figure for the regimentation of waters wasthe Bishop of Lucca Frediano (561- 589) who, because of the continuous floods, had the waters of the main river deviated into the main Northern branch (Auserculus). The river was also redirected to Ripafratta, to the west of the «Monti Pisani», and made to flow directly into the sea close to Pisa instead of flowing into the river Arno.

Floods: an ancient problem

In 1800 the Ozzeri canal was built as an irrigating and reclaiming canal of the lower Plain of Lucca (Nottolini) merging into the River Serchio at Cerasomma.

Carta da acque e strade, 1563 n. 10

R e c l a i m i n g in the river-bed of the ancient lake Bientina

The lake was drained in 1859 «using the barrel»: this important work by Alessandro Manetti consisted in digging an outflowing

stream with a very clever underground gallery system, which is still under the river

Arno today.

In 1852 “The barrel” is built: it is a canal which gathers the waters of the Basin which flow under the river Arno and continue to Livorno

The water ducts

The water shed “The Barrel”

The Barrel

The terrace marks

the bottom of the

river Arno; the roof

of the water ducts is

protected by a

waterproof layer of

clay which stops

water from the river

Arno to penetrate.

The two water ducts

Doors that close at 120 degrees because of

the hydraulic pressure of the main water

stream. Automatism invented by Leonardo

da Vinci.

Vincian doors and cataracts

Vincian Doors: Invented by Leonardo Da

Vinci to prevent water from flowing back in

case of flooding. In this case they close with

opposing pressure.

Fosso Zero, Padule Bientina