| Metauro | |
| Source1 Location: | near Monte dei Frati in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino |
| Mouth: | Adriatic Sea |
| Mouth Location: | near Fano |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 43.8292°N 13.0546°W |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Length: | 121km (75miles) |
| Source1 Elevation: | 1400m (4,600feet) |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 20.8m3/s |
| Basin Size: | 1325km2 |
The Metauro is a river in the Marche region of central Italy.[1] It rises in the Apennine Mountains and runs east for 110km (70miles) or 121km (75miles) if the Meta is included as its uppermost reach.
The name of the river in Latin is Metaurus[2] or Mataurus. In Ancient Greek, the name of the river is Métauros, Μέταυρος which stems simply from the union of the two torrents: Meta, running from the Apennine pass Bocca Trabaria, at an elevation of 1044m (3,425feet), and Auro, flowing from Monte Maggiore, at an elevation of 1384m (4,541feet).
The source of the river is located near Monte dei Frati in the border region between the provinces of Pesaro e Urbino, Arezzo and Perugia.[3] It flows east through Pesaro e Urbino near Mercatello sul Metauro, Sant'Angelo in Vado (where the river forms the Cascata del Sasso, "Waterfall of the Stone"), Urbania, Fermignano, Fossombrone (in whose territory it receives the waters of the Candigliano), and, after flowing into a tight valley, the Gola del Furlo, Montemaggiore al Metauro, from which it starts to flow in a plain area. The river flows northeast near Calcinelli, Saltara, Lucrezia, Cartoceto and Cuccurano before flowing into the Adriatic Sea near Fano.
The Greek city of Metauros was founded in the 7th century BC near the mouth of the river which also served as a boundary between its city-state and that of Tauriana 1 km south of the river.
Two battles were fought on the banks of Metauro in ancient times.