Paesaggi di villa nel Delta del Po: mappare il patrimonio costruito delle terre di bonifica

The project Villa Landscapes in the Po Delta: Mapping the Built Heritage of Reclaimed Lands investigates the Lower Polesine area, in the southern part of Veneto region, through an approach that considers the main Venetian architectural features present in the environmental context of the Po Delta. This doctoral research project was funded by the European Union - Next Generation EU and carried out in collaboration with the “Centro di Ricerca e Documentazione del Delta” (CE.RI.DO.δ) association. The geographical area of reference is the Po Delta. The repeated advances and retreats of the coastline have defined the profile of the area at the mouth of the Po River in the Adriatic Sea. This slow process has contributed to the progressive sedimentation of alluvium and to the build-up of the longest stretch of unspoilt sandy coastline in Italy, recognised in the UNESCO Man and Biosphere program since 2015. The research analyses the transformations in Polesine during the period of Venetian rule and the subsequent phases, up to the present day. First of all, the methods of managing reclaimed land and the organisation of its administration were analysed. A key moment was the realization of the Taglio di Porto Viro, a famous hydraulic engineering project completed by the Republic of Venice between 1600 and 1604. Its main goal was the diversion of the course of the River Po southwards to defend the lagoon. Many noble Venetian families gradually began to make substantial investments in the Po Delta and promoted the construction of buildings designed to control the vast properties they had acquired. In addition to the area closest to the Adriatic Sea, the research aims to study the territory that today is part of the municipalities of Adria, Corbola, Papozze and Ariano nel Polesine, for a wide-ranging study that considers the extraordinary heritage scattered throughout the area. Venetian villas and properties in the Delta, known as Ca’, meaning manor houses or estates, have been identified. The main Venetian families involved in this process and the architectural structure of the properties themselves are two of the main topics studied, together with water and field management.