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F Fium iume e P Serravalle o ia Albersano Po di Venez Guarda Alberone Cologna Ferrarese Ponte Punzetti Oasi Ariano Mulino del Po Ferrarese Zerbinate Oasi Bosco di Pilastri Stellata Zocca Santa Malcantone Ro Massenzatica Giustina Contane Ponti Oasi Isola Coccanile Spagna Oasi Bonello Pepoli Oasi Bosco Ravalle Monticelli Pineta di di Porporana S. Giustina Fossadalbero Cesta Mesola Ambrogio S. Biagio Porporana Salvatonica Ruina Ponte S. Pietro Dune Fossili di Mezzogoro Massenzatica Gavello Burana Oasi Isola Pescara Sabbioni Bianca Camatte P Casaglia Zenzalino o d Francolino P i G Francolino Italba o no Settepolesini Saletta c Oasi Isola d ca i o Ospitale d Bianca G e o l Corlo Bosco r l Diamantina o a Torbiera Mesola D o Scortichino Pontelagoscuro n RO Oasi Bacini z Tamara Caprile e Correggio Zuccherificio l NaturePontelangorino reserves on two wheels l Santa Gradizza Oasi Valle a Boara Brazzolo Dindona Bianca Vigarano From toOasi ArgentaGoro Ponte Pieve Barco Gran Bosco Malborghetto Baura Oasi S. Bianca Rodoni di Boara Pomposa della Mesola Cassana Fossalta Sabb. POMPOSA Oasi Bacini Pontemaodino Boschetti Vigarano Sabb. Gherardi Zuccherificio Pomposa Mizzana S. Pietro S. Vittore di Valle oleonico Giralda Sacca di Goro p Mainarda Porotto rese Viconovo MODENA a Ferra Contrapò Albarea Gorino Pontegradella rovia Ferrarese o Id Casumaro N olan Villanova o i V Focomorto Denore Oasi v o d 5 7 Oasi Canneviè a P Isola Tieni C Ferrara Porticino Codrea FinaleReno Centese Cocomaro Po o di Focomorto 6 di Volan Vaccolino Volano Emilia Madonna Val Alberone Boschi Quartesana Final Massa Mirabello Cocomaro di Rero Roncodigà Cantone Valle Lido di Volano Oasi di Cona Nuova Oasi Faro S. Carlo Boscona Aguscello Cona Rero Valle Gorino Buonacompra Fossanova Parasacco Migliaro Marozzo di Gorino Coronella Chiesuol San Marco Bertuzzi del Fosso Scannone di Goro Torre Fossa Ducentola Bivio Id Dodici ro Cornacervina Pilastrello Oasi Borgo S. Anna Correggi via Valcesura Morelli Fossanova Palmirano Fer San Biagio Gorgo Gualdo rarese Sant’Agostino Medelana Lago delle Oasi Bosco S. Martino Voghenza Masi S. Giacomo Rovereto Nazioni della Panfilia Chiesa Gaibanella Migliarino Nuova Alberlungo S. Egidio S. Vito Renazzo Dosso Oasi Fium Corte Centrale e Re Campolungo Malpasso Lido delle Nazioni Bevilacqua no Dogato Poggio RenaticoMontalbano Gaibana Gambulaga Libolla Corporeno Oasi Anse Vallive di Ostellato Runco Ostellato S. Giuseppe S. Giovanni Volania S. Bartolomeo Monestirolo di Lido di Pomposa in Bosco Sandolo Gallo MarraraMontesanto Marrara Maiero Comacchio Lido degli Scacchi Quartiere FE414 Oasi Trava S. Nicolò Oasi Anse di Spinazzino Bonifica Valle Lepri Portorotta Portoverrara Ostellato Much-prized nature reserves, the Anse VallivePorto di Garibaldi wetlands are the Ripapersico departure point for this journey which runs mostly along the FE414 cycleway,

Benvignante Oasi Valle P Fattibello

o which was named after the Ferrarese writer & journalistLido degli EstensiBruno Traversari. The d Oasi i del

P Ospital Anse Vallive di Porto r route visits the Anse Vallive di Porto and the Bacini di Bando before reaching i m Monacale Bacino di Bando Oasi S. M. Codifiume a Valle Zavelea r Lido di Spina o Consandolo Argenta. Oasi Salina di Comacchio Bando Oasi Boccaleone Mezzano Vene di TraghettoTraghetto 8 TechnicalOasi notes Ferrara 4 La Fiorana Valle Ussarola Bellocchio OstellatoMare COMACCHIO Depart: Ostellato, Piazza Repubblica FERRARA FE414 Valli di Argenta 9 Arrive: Argenta,Oasi Valle Centro Culturale Mercato www.ferrarainfo.com Adriatico Marmorta Fossa di Porto Comacchio Val Length: 30,220 km Ferrara: Campotto Argenta Castello Estense • tel. 0532 299303 Difficulty level: suitable forOasi everyone. Level Longastrino Valle Vacca Oasi Valli Filo route mainly along cycle path, partly on dirt Argenta: di Argenta e S. Biagio Marmorta Piazza Marconi, 1 • tel. 0532 330276 track. Some stretches alongOasi minor roads with Bosco del little traffic. Boscoforte Traversante F i u m e Connections with other routes R e n o Anita Valle Railways 4 Ferrara - Argenta Campotto Santa Ferrara/Codigoro • Ferrara/Ravenna Lavezzola 5 Ferrara - Ostellato COMACCHIO Bicycle transport available. 6 Ostellato - Pomposa Voltana Please check timetables and availability. 1:200.000 7 Ro - Copparo - Ostellato 5 km Info: 892021 • www.trenitalia.com 800 91 50 30 • www.fer.it 9 Argenta - Comacchio RAVENNA Portonovo 62 63 8 From Ostellato to Argenta From Ostellato to Argenta 8

The vanished lagoon

The reclamation of the Valle del Mez- zano, begun in 1957, was finished less than 10 years later: the Valle was a large inland saltwater lagoon, that had formed after subsidence in the 16th cen- tury, when river and sea water flooded an oak forest. Today the Mezzano is an area com- pletely adapted to intensive agriculture with almost no houses, where first corn and then the cultivation of asparagus, tomatoes, squash, melon and fruit trees was introduced. Narrow strips of the lagoon were not touched by the reclamation: these are the Anse Vallive di Ostellato, Oasi di Bando, and di Porto, though these are all now fresh rather than salt water.

The Anse Vallive di Ostellato reserve The Anse Vallive di Ostellato, an area of 200 After visiting the lagoons, the route goes The Town Museum (Museo Civico), housed hectares, include a series of lagoon basins onto the FE414 cycleway alongside the re- in the former church of San Domenico and For information on the Lagoon Mu- with wetland vegetation and hydrophilous claimed land of the Mezzano, passing pump- including a picture gallery and an archaeo- seum and on the nature reserves, see woodlands, stretching between the Canale ing stations, and reaches another point of logical section, the former Capuchin Monas- route n° 4, p. 46. Circondariale and the Canale Navigabile. great natural interest. tery, and the the Santuario della Celletta just The trail inside the reserve begins in the visi- outside the centre. The Bando reserve and the Anse Vallive di Anse Vallive di Porto tor centre (Centro Visita) and goes as far as Porto, extending for 50 hectares, are formed Valle San Zagno, the most protected of the by a basin of fresh water and cane brakes and lagoons. the trail is about 4.5 km long and are a place of fundamental importance for the can be done in circle on foot or by bike: in conservation of water birds. The vegetation the first part is the aviary with white storks; on the banks is dominated by tamarisk and in the basins that follow can be seen anatids cane. The area is laid out with paths that circle (ducks, swans, etc.), white egrets, grebes, and the basins, part of which are accessible to dis- the Black-winged Stilt. abled persons with assistance, and with hides for birdwatching and nature photography. The area is well provided with After the Oasi Trava go towards Argenta, pass visitor viewpoints with places through the hamlet of La Fiorana heading for to stop, refreshment, excursions, the centre of the town. sporting activities, horse-riding trips and an astronomical observatory. In Argenta you can follow an artistic/historic trail which visits the Oratorio of Santa Croce,

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