Anello delle Valli di Argenta

The Anello delle Valli di Argenta is a loop through the landscape of the Campotto flood-expansion basins. Embankments, open water, wet woodland and farmland reveal a territory shaped by both hydraulic engineering and conservation.

Why it matters

The landscape is not simply an untouched remnant of ancient marsh. Managed basins absorb floodwater, while later habitat restoration has helped preserve and enlarge wetland environments within a heavily reclaimed plain.

What to notice

The Cassa del Bassarone, Cassa di Campotto and Valle Santa present different expanses of water and vegetation. The Bosco del Traversante adds moisture-loving woodland to this open setting. Sluices, pumps, ditches and embankments make the management of water visible alongside reeds, hedgerows and cultivated ground.

Context and history

Reclamation transformed Argenta's marshes from the eighteenth century onward. Early-twentieth-century works developed flood-expansion basins connected with the Idice and Sillaro water systems. The area became part of the Po Delta park's Campotto station in 1988. Agri-environment programmes in 1991–2002 restored wetlands, scrub and hedges on former farmland, adding another phase to this constructed landscape.