Magra
river in Italy
The Magra is a 62-kilometre (39 mi) long river of Northern Italy, which runs through Pontremoli, Filattiera, Villafranca in Lunigiana and Aulla in the province of Massa-Carrara (Tuscany); Santo Stefano di Magra, Vezzano Ligure, Arcola, Sarzana and Ameglia in the province of La Spezia (Liguria).
In Roman times, it was known as the Macra and marked the eastern boundary of the territory of Liguria.
The river's drainage basin occupies around 1,700 km2 (660 mi2). Its most important tributary is the Vara which joins the Magra from the right within the commune of Santo Stefano di Magra.
Caprigliola bridge collapse
In April 2020 a 260-metre long (850 ft) road bridge across the Magra at Albiano Magra near Aulla collapsed. Very few vehicles were using the bridge at the time due to the coronavirus lockdown then in force, and only two people were injured.
Regional Natural Park of Montemarcello-Magra-Vara
Since 1995 an area of 4,320.8 hectares (10,677 acres) surrounding the Magra and Vara rivers is protected by a natural park of the regione Liguria, placed near the border with the Tuscany region. Due its biodiversity, the Regional Natural Park of Montemarcello-Magra-Vara is part of the Natura 2000 European network.
“Magra” enters the record as river in Italy. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Magra, river and Italy can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Magra” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Magra, river and Italy provides the most credible route into that argument.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q692549. Authority coordinates are 44.045, 9.989. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020, 1995 and 2000.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Magra”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Magra primary sources, Magra archive and Magra research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Magra”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Magra” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.