Little known as yet, Bassa Romagna features views suspended between water, land and sky, with an expanse the eye is unable to fully embrace.
Stretching from the Adriatic Sea to the hills of Romagna, the landscape presents a large fertile valley marked by vegetable gardens, vineyards, orchards and waterways. Nature to be explored by travelling along country roads, penetrating deep into wet areas and observing the signs of time and of men. Signs of all ages, from ancient rural buildings to medieval constructions, and the remains of the distant past, such as the layout of the Roman centuriation.
Our journey of discovery starts from protected areas, parks and natural reserves. We lightly step into the most beautiful lands of Bassa Romagna, a genuine, hospitable and authentic place.
EXPERIENCE
Who: everybody, particularly those who love outdoor life
When: all year round
How: walking, cycling or running
Why: to discover the most beautiful lands of Bassa Romagna, a genuine, hospitable and authentic place.
ITINERARIES
A short distance from the historical centre of Lugo, with entrances in via Brignani 1 and in via Foro Boario 42, this green area stretches over 77,000 m2. The lake, adorned with lotus flowers and water lilies, is rich in birdlife, including goldfinches, cetti’s warblers, Eurasian coots, mallards, herons, moorhens, kingfishers and other typical species of damp areas. For information, click here.
Situated in Piazza Garibaldi, the garden of Rocca di Lugo is highly suggestive for the very site where it is located. Charged with symbols, it evokes the role gardens have always played both in history and in legends. A miniature representation of the Cosmos, the garden refers to the thick grid of symbols inspired by the plant world in human imagination. For information, click here.
This natural oasis with remarkable naturalistic value spans more than 9 hectares, and is situated just outside the historical town centre of Bagnacavallo. The area, which has not been cultivated for decades, presents the flora and fauna that were typical of the Po valley at least until the post-war period: cottonwood, white poplar, field maple, common oak, elm, willow and cherry trees. The many attractions of the Podere include the large cottonwood tree, which appears in the first official list of Monumental Trees of Italy for its dimensions, age, cultural and ecological value. Older than a century and 27 m tall, with a trunk circumference of more than 5.6 m, it is the second largest cottonwood tree in the region. For information, click here.
This is what has survived of the valley’s wet environment. The Alfonsine Natural Reserve, a haven for the flora and fauna of the regional Po Delta Park, comprises three stations: the former Fornace Violani Quarry’s Pond, the Triple Canal Wood and the final sector of the Canal of Mills. The ground floor of the house where poet Vincenzo Monti was born, in via Passetto 3, is the site of the Environmental Educational Centre and the Visitor’s Centre of the Alfonsine Natural reserve, while the top floor is the venue of the Museo Montiano, a rich collection of memories and documents of the poet’s life and works. For information, click here.
You will find Europe’s largest Corn Labyrinth in Alfonsine. Spanning a surface area of 100,000 m2, it is a mysterious, magical and fascinating path. For information, click here.
The Fusignano Wood is situated in via Romagna, to the west of the town. The outcome of a reforestation process implemented to recreate a piece of that oak and hornbeam forest that once stretched over the Po valley. The area is designed to restore ecological balance, and is included in the Canal of Mills itinerary. For information, click here.
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Lago dei Gelsi (Mulberry Lake)
The Mulberry Lake or Fornace Lake, in via Ponte Pietra, is an artificial basin that was formed when a clay quarry was decommissioned. The mirror of water is lined with large white willows and black poplars, and is the meeting site of several species of migrating birds. European pond turtles live in the pond, along with the pike and the tench. The lake is managed by the association Primola from Cotignola, and can be visited all year round by appointment. For information, click here.
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Site designed to restore ecological balance
The site comprises two distinct wet areas, the basins of Conselice and of Lavezzola. The former is the overflow basin for the canal “Diversivo in Valle”, while the latter is made up of the Fornace Litos basins that have been restored to their original state to the east of Lavezzola.
Close to the embankment of the Santerno river in Sant’agata sul Santerno extends the Grande Parco Vatrenus, an area of over two hectares mainly dedicated to outdoor fitness, equipped with a cycle path and gymnastic structures for the practice of calisthenics and of the crossfit. For information, click here.
