The Metauro is a river in the Marche region of central Italy. It rises in the Apennine Mountains and runs east for 110 kilometres (68 mi) or 121 kilometres (75 mi) if the Meta is included as its uppermost reach.

The name of the river in Latin is Metaurus 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 1,044 metres (3,425 ft), and Auro, flowing from Monte Maggiore, at an elevation of 1,384 metres (4,541 ft).

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. 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.

• the Battle of the Metaurus in 207 BC: Hasdrubal Barca, while marching to the aid of Hannibal, was defeated and slain by a Roman army led by the consuls Marcus Livius Salinator and Gaius Claudius Nero. It was the decisive battle of the Second Punic War. The exact site of the battle is uncertain; tradition places it between Fossombrone and the Furlo, but it is probable that it occurred nearer the Adriatic coast;
• in 271, Roman Emperor Aurelian defeated in the Battle of Fano, fought near the river, the Alamanni, who had invaded the northern part of Italia the previous year.

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Metaurus". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

• La Valle del Metauro Database about natural and human aspects of the valley
• Il Giornale del Metauro on-line news from the valley towns and villages