Museo delle Valli di Comacchio

The Museum of the Valli of Comacchio documents the fishing culture and managed waterways of the Comacchio lagoon.

Why it matters

For centuries, fishing communities shaped the valli through embankments, channels and traps, with eel central to the local economy. The museum preserves knowledge of the structures and labour that sustained lagoon fishing.

What to notice

The lavorieri were systems of poles and reed screens forming enclosures through which fish moved between basins. Casoni and tabarre document fishing households and buildings used to guard fisheries and store equipment. Boats, tools and objects associated with eel processing show how fishing was organised and connected with trade.

Context and history

Fishing in the Comacchio valli developed within a landscape shaped by older settlements, including Etruscan Spina and the medieval salt economy. The museum preserves the memory of a way of life that continued into the twentieth century. The surrounding wetland is part of the Natura 2000 network.