Melara
A flat province with many rivers
The province of Rovigo, located in the region of Veneto, is one of the few Italian provinces that is entirely flat. It is bordered to the north by the provinces of Padua, Verona and Venice, to the east by the Adriatic Sea, to the south by the province of Ferrara, and to the southwest by the province of Mantua. With a population of 227,773, the province of Rovigo has Rovigo city as its capital. Its longitudinal extension is about 100 km, from the borders with the provinces of Verona and Mantua to the Adriatic coast.
The Polesine and the Po Delta
The province falls within the geographical region of Polesine, covering almost its entirety, except for a part of the Valli Grandi Veronesi to the west and the municipality of Cavarzere to the east. Polesine stretches for about 18 km in the north-south direction and 100 km in the west-east direction, with an area of 1,789 square kilometers and an altitude ranging from -4 to 15 meters above sea level. The territory is delimited by the Adige and Po rivers, which respectively mark the borders to the north and south. The eastern part of the province corresponds to the Po Delta, where the river continuously deposits sediments.
The hydrography of the province of Rovigo
In addition to the Po and Adige rivers, the province is crossed along its entire length by the Tartaro-Canalbianco-Po di Levante. This means that most of the fresh waters in Italy flow into the sea, skirting or crossing the province of Rovigo. This has led to numerous hydraulic problems, including disastrous floods such as the Polesine flood of November 1951. There are numerous artificial canals for agricultural reclamation, including the Collettore Padano, the Scolo Ceresolo, and the Scolo Valdentro.
Other waterways
In addition to the main rivers, there are other waterways of historical importance such as the Adigetto, which corresponds to the ancient course of the Adige river branching off from the current course at Badia Polesine and crossing Lendinara and the capital; the Scolo Poazzo, corresponding to an ancient course of the Po, and the Fossa Polesella, filled in after the 1951 flood and connecting the Canal Bianco to the Po.
Conclusions
The province of Rovigo has a unique territory for Italy, entirely flat and entirely included in the geographical region of Polesine. The presence of three important rivers and numerous canals has led to hydraulic problems, but also opportunities for agriculture and fishing. The province has a rich history and numerous places of cultural and landscape interest.
