Ariano nel Polesine
Welcome to Ariano nel Polesine!
Hello everyone! Today I want to tell you about Ariano nel Polesine, a municipality of 3939 inhabitants in the province of Rovigo, in Veneto. Known as Ariàn in the Ferrarese dialect, this place has a curious geographical conformation. Let me tell you more!
Physical geography
Let's start with Italy's seismic classification: Ariano nel Polesine is located in zone 4, with very low seismicity. The municipal territory is peculiar because it extends in length from the fraction of Santa Maria in Punta to the locality of Bacucco on the Adriatic Sea, for about forty kilometers. But, from the fraction of Rivà to the sea, the territory is only a few hundred meters wide. In this municipality, there is also an island called Isola di Ariano, which includes the municipalities of Ariano nel Polesine, Corbola, and Taglio di Po.
Territory
The island of Ariano is located between the branches of the Po di Goro, Taglio di Porto Viro, and Po di Gnocca and is part of the Po Delta. The southern boundary extends for the entire length of the Po di Goro, which is also the border between the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna regions. The municipal territory is very young to the east of Rivà, where it was formed together with the current Cuspide (deltoid polyhedron) following the cut of Porto Viro operated by the Republic of Venice in 1600 and completed on September 16, 1604. This has made it so that even today the municipal surface is slightly increasing and constitutes, together with the municipalities of Porto Tolle and Porto Viro, the only Italian territory still expanding.
The municipality of Ariano nel Polesine is part of the Veneto Regional Park of the Po Delta and the Interregional Po Delta Park, although the latter is not yet fully operational. Furthermore, it is part of the RO 2 District of the Department of Civil Protection and forest fire protection.
Climate
The climate of Ariano nel Polesine is classified as GR-G with degree-days 2347. Spring is cool and rainy, and autumn is foggy or rainy, while winter is foggy with spells of drier weather and cold temperatures due to the Siberian high pressure system. Snowfall is rare and ephemeral. During the summer, the climate is hot and humid, occasionally interrupted by strong thunderstorms and downpours.
All values are mitigated by proximity to the sea. In fact, during the January 1985 cold wave, the lowest temperature recorded was -14 degrees Celsius, while less than 50 km away in Molinella, the record was -22 degrees Celsius. There are no official data from previous years, although it is likely that the record was reached during the 1929 cold wave, an unusually long period that caused the Po River to freeze, allowing people and carts to cross on the ice, as evidenced by historical photos.
Conclusion
Here's a brief guide to Ariano nel Polesine, a unique and fascinating place. If you love nature, this place is a great destination for cycling or walking excursions through the territories of the Po Delta. The expanding municipal territory is a peculiarity that is worth knowing!
