Vallette di Ostellato - Villaggio Natura

Between two drainage canals near Ostellato, the Vallette form a narrow ribbon of freshwater marsh and woodland, preserving part of the wetland landscape that once surrounded the town. The oasis supports herons, grebes and a white stork colony.

Why it matters

The Vallette comprise woodland and freshwater marsh between the Navigabile and Circondariale canals, a remnant of the wetlands that preceded the twentieth-century reclamation of the Valle del Mezzano. The municipal wildlife oasis was established by the Province of Ferrara in 1975 and encompasses about 200 hectares of water and land extending from Ostellato towards the Comacchio valleys. Valle San Carillo, Valle Fossa, Valle Fornace and San Zagno form its shallow-water basins. Reeds and open water support a diverse bird community, including nesting and migratory species.

What to notice

The mosaic of shallow water, reedbeds and woodland supports white storks, penduline tits, great crested grebes and grey herons. Common reed, bulrush, water iris, yellow water-lily, water milfoil and flowering rush grow along the water, with white willow, elm, white poplar and elder on the banks. Nine European heron species have been recorded over the course of a year, from bittern to great white egret; other birds include black-winged stilts, marsh harriers, buzzards, tawny owls, ducks and coots. The varied habitats preserve characteristic freshwater ecology within a landscape reshaped by drainage.

Context and history

Ostellato's history reflects its position between Ferrara and the sea. Reclamation campaigns drained the surrounding valli valley by valley, while the Vallette survived outside the final schemes and were protected as a wildlife oasis in 1975. The drainage canals that border the wetlands are part of the hydraulic system whose history is also represented at the Museo del Territorio in town and at the reclamation museums of the Delta.