THE PATH OF SANT' ANTONIO - POLESELLA-FERRARA

The lands of Riva del Po are crossed by a part of the 5th leg out of 13 of the path of Sant’Antonio, a pilgrimage that starts in Padova at the Basilica del Santo and ends at the refuge of Montefalco (Forlì-Cesena), the most important Antonian sanctuary in Emilia Romagna. At Montefalco you will find a relic ex corpore and the cave where the saint would prey.
The fifth leg starts at Ferrara and ends in Polesella crossing Ro in the area of Riva del Po, following the Po River, the physical border between Veneto and Emilia Romagna and flanking the villages of Zocca, Fossa d’Albero, Sabbioni, Pescara and Francolino. In Francolino descend from the banks of the river on the cycle path that will take you to Ferrara in Via Bacchelli with the Parco Urbano to your side. Finally cross the road through the city walls and continue along Via Ercole I D’Este until you reach the Castello Estense.

THE ROMEA GERMANICA PILGRIMAGE- POLESELLA-FERRARA

The Via Romea Germanica retraces the journey of the Monk Alberto di State in 1236 towards Rome as it was meticulously described in his travel journal.
This path was both one of the “Peregrinationes Majiores” for pilgrims of the time and one of the preferred routes used by Kings, Saxon Emperors and Suevian Sovreigns to maintain connections with the city of Popes.
The Via Romea Germanica starts from Ausburg, setting of the 1517 schism, then goes through Trento, city f the Counter-reformation, Padova, where the Basilica of Sant’Antonio is, then it enters Emilia Romagna across the Po Valley and Ferrara, the Valleys of Comacchio and towards Ravenna, the Byzantine place of worship and home to the splendid Mausoleum of Teodorico. A variant to the route can be done taking the path towards the Abbey of Pomposa at Riva del Po and continuing along the “Destra Po” route to Mesola and its famous castle, and bear south until you reach the Abbey. From here on the path will take you first to Comacchio and will continue all the way to Ravenna.
At the feet of the Appenines the route rises towards Bagno di Romagna and the Serra pass, crossing the “Parco delle Foreste Casentinesi” and later descending towards Tuscany and finally Rome.

HIKING ON THE RIGHT BANK OF THE PO:

Starting from Ro Ferrarese you can walk along the FE20 Strada Ciclabile FE20(Cycle Route) passing by Guarda Ferrarese, Cologna, Berra, Serravalle and if you want to continue eventually Mesola, the Mouth of the Po River and finally the coast.
Ro-Guarda Ferrarese: 1 h. 6m (5,5 Km)
Ro-Berra: 3 h. 51m (19,2 Km)
Ro-Serravalle: 5 h. 8 m (25,5 Km)

PERIPLO CAMMINI DELTA PO

The Periplo del Delta del Po extends for about 400 kilometers and can be done both clockwise and anticlockwise depending on whether you choose to start from Cervia, where you arrive comfortably by train, or starting from Ferrara or from any other point on the route.

It is a ring that crosses 4 Paths: Via Popilia, Viae Misericordiae, Via Romea Germanica, Il Cammino di Dante.

The circumnavigation passes through 19 stages all in an almost flat territory, where you can discover places of very different traditions and landscapes, from the countryside to the valleys, from the cities of art recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Ravenna and Ferrara, to the small rural villages that dot the Po Delta Park, a UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve. A territory suspended between land and water, where man has always dealt with water and where you can find important reclamation artifacts, some villas of the circuit of the Delizie Estensi, the Abbey of Pomposa, the Castello della Mesola, Sant’Apollinare in Classe, and other places of pilgrimage and historical-cultural interest. Places where the valleys have created work, culture, gastronomy of excellence and quality, and where it is possible to cross pine forests and salt marshes, woods and dunes meeting flamingos and deer, horses and numerous other animals that make it rich and special.

Among the stages, the following cross the territory of the Terre e Fiumi Union:

  • Stage 11 – Ariano Ferrarese – Berra (km 15)
  • Stage 12 – Berra – Ro Ferrarese (km 19.11)
  • Stage 13 – Ro Ferrarese – Ferrara (km 22.8)

For more information: https://deltadelpo.eu/it/190-periplo-cammini-delta-po