Porto Viro
Porto Viro è un comune del Polesine, nel cuore del Delta del Po, il grande territorio di terre e acque che il fiume ha costruito s...
Aktualisiert am 11 Juli 2026
Die Geschichte
Die Geschichte von Porto Viro
History: the Porto Viro Cut
Between 1600 and 1604 the Republic of Venice carried out one of the greatest hydraulic works of its time in Europe: the Taglio di Porto Viro, a canal dug to divert the main course of the Po south-east, into the Sacca di Scardovari, steering it away from the Venice lagoon, which risked gradual silting. The work changed the geography of the area forever: the enormous quantities of sediment carried by the river gradually formed much of today's Po Delta, including the land on which Porto Viro and neighbouring municipalities now stand.
Origins: Donada and Contarina
The earliest settlements in the area date back to around 1000 BC, when the Paleoveneti settled on the fossil dunes of the territory. In the late Middle Ages the area came under the rule of the Republic of Venice, administratively dependent on the Castle of Loreo. Around the estates of the noble Donà and Contarini families, two distinct communities formed, Donada and Contarina, which remained separate until 1928, when they were merged into a single municipality on the initiative of Admiral Arcangeli, initially named Taglio di Porto Viro and later, more simply, Porto Viro.
Nature: the Po Delta and the Sacca di Scardovari
The municipal territory lies within the Po Delta Veneto Regional Park, a mosaic of canals, fish valleys, embankments and wetlands that is home to an extraordinary variety of waterbirds. Not far away is the Sacca di Scardovari, the largest lagoon in the Delta, famous for mussel farming: this is where the Scardovari mussels, holders of Protected Designation of Origin status, are raised. Travelling by boat or bicycle along the embankments of this territory means crossing a landscape that seems suspended between land and water, unlike anywhere else in the Veneto.
Food and wine: fishing and mussel farming
Local cuisine follows the rhythm of the river and the sea: risottos based on valley fish, eels, mussels and clams cooked in countless ways, and the celebrated broeti, the Delta's traditional fish soups. Mussel farming is a mainstay of the municipality's economy, with fishing cooperatives working the Sacca di Scardovari according to techniques passed down through generations. Agriculture also plays an important role, thanks to the fertile land reclaimed from the river over the centuries, cultivated mainly with cereals and vegetables.
Getting there
Porto Viro lies in the eastern part of the province of Rovigo and can be reached by car via the Romea state road or the provincial roads crossing the Delta; the provincial capital, Rovigo, is about forty kilometres away. As the municipality has no railway station, it is best visited by car or, for those wanting to take their time along the embankments, by bicycle along the Delta Park's network of cycle paths.
Experiences not to miss
- Ripercorrere in barca il canale del Taglio di Porto Viro, l'opera idraulica che creò il Delta moderno
- Retrace by boat the Taglio di Porto Viro canal, the hydraulic work that created the modern Delta
Sehenswert
Sehenswertes in Porto Viro
Pfade · Trovido Route
