|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
The route runs along the right bank of the Po, the long boundary line which divides Ferrara territory from Lombardy and then, proceeding towards the Adriatic, from Veneto. The great river is a constant travelling companion, with its history, tales, customs and great plains.
Departure in the lee of the Possente Fortress
The starting point is Stellata on the north-west boundary of the province of Ferrara where the countryside meets the river as it flows in from Mantua territory. Stellata (Starry) takes its name from the star-shaped plan of the Possente Fortress, built in 1362 by Niccolò II D'Este for greater river traffic security. From Stellata you head towards Bondeno , temporarily leaving the main river bank and following the Po di Panaro. Here begins another waterway, the Cavo Napoleonico, created at Napoleon’s behest to link the river Po and the river Reno: one of the many interventions on the waterway network of the zone.
Before the "Delta Gate"
At Pontelagoscuro, after a 27-kilometre long run, you are once more on the right bank of the Po. Here, in the middle of the river, is the Isola Bianca, today a fauna reserve. This is also the point closest to Ferrara which is only six kilometres away.
Then the river moves away from the city, touching Fossadalbero, Zocca, Guarda and Berra, linked by a ferry with the Veneto side, and Serravalle. The Po splits up precisely at Serravalle and this is why the latter is also called the Delta Gate: one branch goes north towards Venice and one runs south, taking the name of Po di Goro. In this area there is a mooring place for small pleasure crafts that are used for silurus fishing. After about fifteen kilometres following the Po you come to the Fossil Dunes of Massenzatica, an ancient sandbank dating back to the second millennium before Christ.
The area, a nature reserve, cannot be accessed but can be admired from some marvellous panoramic points. |
|
Mesola Castle, Delizia Estense
You can now see the sea. Mesola welcomes tourists with its outstanding Castle overlooking the river, one of the so-called Delizie Estensi. It dates back to the end of the 16th century and was used as a lodge by the dukes when they went hunting in the Mesola Wood. The Castle is now the seat of the Environmental Education Centre (Info tel. 0533 993 595) which documents the origins and evolution of the Po Valley territory, as well as the flora and fauna of an area that is unique of its kind. After Mesola the course of the river alters southwards. It is worth stopping for a visit to the 17th century Torre dell'Abate (Tower of the Abbot), one of the many works built to regulate the flow of the water. Equally worthy of attention is the Mesola Wood, more than a thousand hectares of nature reserve and habitat of the Dune Deer, residual evidence of the deer that once populated the Po Valley. Entry to the reserve is free but you can visit it only on foot or by bike. There are also guided tours. (Info tel. 0533 993 483)
Goro, a "mobile town"
You're almost at the end of the trip and the waters of the Po mingle with those of the Adriatic Sea: here you are in Goro, whose history is closely bound to the waters on which it stands. The town already existed in the Middle Ages but the ceaseless movement of the Po Delta led to the founding in the 18th century of a new Goro in a better position. The terminus is Gorino, the traditional starting point of a wide range of motorboat excursions to the Po Delta.
|
|
|
|
