THE CHIOMA RIVER
The Chioma is a river in torrential regime in Livorno Hills. It borders the area between Livorno and the confining town of Rosignano Marittimo. The valley of Chioma is one of the largest and most picturesque in the surroundings of the city.
The stream springs out on the southern slopes of Monte Maggiore (454 meters), on the way to Gabbro village, in the high side of the area.
After a steep climb (about three kilometers), the slope decreases, and the river enters a broad valley among beautiful Mediterranean hills, where the River Chioma, receives significant tributaries: Botro Quarata, 4 km long, originating from Montenero Hill, and Botro Nibbiaia, 3 km long, originating from Nibbiaia Hills. The little river becomes now wider and well-dug in the ground. Afterwards it enters the Tirreno Sea, where its estuary creates a small picturesque harbour and a nice Marina which is called Chioma after the name of the river.
The Chioma Valley covers a surface area equal to 394 ha, while the catchment area of the river has a total area of 1274 ha.
The vegetation consists of coppice in the inner part, replaced by conifers in the part closest to the coast and tall trees such as oaks, pines, cork and wild olive trees. A rich variety of Mediterranean herbs, shrubs and herbaceous plants typical of ophiolite rocks is also present.
The bed of the stream and the surrounding areas are still free from human intervention and environmental pollution, so that a quantity of benthic macroorganisms can be found, consisting of many species that have disappeared from other streams in Livorno territory.
From a geological point of view, there are interesting outcrops along the valley of the Chioma, with characteristic green rocks (serpentine, gabbro, and diabase). Marine and lagoon sediments from the Upper Miocene consisting of conglomerates, clays, sandstone, limestone and gypsum are present too.
The environment offers a suitable habitat for many species: wild rabbit, wild boar, roe deer, pheasant, all species of passerines and, during the migration, the turtle dove, the thrush, the redwing and the woodcock.
Chioma river is associated with a piece of curiosity. During the fifties some scenes of the film The Bridge on the River Kwai with the American actor William Holden were shot here:the ruined remains of a bridge are still emerging from a stretch of the river.
