Comacchio and its marshlands

Boat excursions in the Po Delta Park

Pomposa Abbey

Pomposa Abbey is a group of buildings that form one of the greatest Benedictine monasteries of the Middle Ages: the Basilica, the Refectory, the Chapter House and the Court make up the core of the Abbey. To these, in later times, the grand bell-tower was added.

The Benedictines founded the Abbey in the 7th century A.D. Around the year 1000 the Abbey enjoyed great prestige in the region and the role of abbot was held in great respect. The Benedictines remained there until the beginning of the 16th century, when all the monastery members moved to Ferrara. It then became private property and subsequently a farm, until one century ago the State turned it into a national monument.

The Abbey was visited over the centuries by several illustrious figures, among whom were Barbarossa and Dante Alighieri. The architecture is a combination of Romanesque and Byzantine styles, and the works of art reveal elements of both the Ferrara school of painting and that of Bologna.

Ferrara

The best-known image of Ferrara is undoubtedly that of its Renaissance period, the age of the splendour of the Estense Court which has left its permanent mark everywhere: in the colossal design of the Herculean Addition, in the impressive fifteenth and sixteenth-century series of paintings, and in the Last Judgment by Bastianino.

The city centre, a favourite place for meetings, events and shows, is dominated by the massive constructions of former ruling powers: the Estense Castle, an ancient 14th-century fortress which later became the residence of the Este Dukes in the 16th century and the splendid Cathedral, a pleasing blend of Gothic and Romanesque styles

The Estense Castle of Mesola

The Estense Castle of Mesola was built in the second half of the sixteenth century by order of the last Duke of Ferrara Alfonso II, in honour of his third wife Margherita Gonzaga. The last of the Estense ‘delizie’, it is remarkable for its austere yet elegant form. Located in the middle of an immense hunting reserve, the Castle was surrounded by a wall 12 km long of which, however, nothing remains. Still standing are the service buildings laid out in a semi-circle around the Castle, now turned into shops and restaurants.

The Castle accommodates the Centre for Environmental Education, the Library and is also a centre for temporary exhibitions.

Venice

Venice is a unique city in the world because of the way in which it developed: it was built upon over one hundred lagoon islands 4 km from land and 2 km from the Adriatic sea. The whole city centre, criss-crossed by canals and linked by hundreds of bridges, is an artistic and architectonic treasure.

The city takes on a special atmosphere during the phenomenon of ‘high water’, when the high tide rises above ground level and floods the streets and main squares of Venice. For these reasons, Venice is one of the major tourist destinations of the world.

Ravenna

Ravenna is a treasure-trove of art, history and cultural excellence, a city of ancient origins with a glorious past, a capital three times over: of the western Roman Empire; of Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths; of the Byzantine Empire in Europe. The basilicas and baptistries of the city hold the world’s greatest heritage of mosaics dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries, and eight monuments of Ravenna are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. While Ravenna was the major political and cultural centre of the western world in the centuries that saw the decline of latin civilization, it nonetheless also offers vestiges of more recent periods; from the archaeology of the Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra (‘House of Stone Carpets’) to the vast Roman port of Classe.

San Marino

There are certainly many valid reasons for visiting San Marino and millions of people do so every year; this Republic has thus become not only one of the smallest States in the world and the oldest in Europe, but also the State which, in proportion to its population, hosts the greatest number of visitors.

Millions of visitors arrive each year because their friends have done so and been impressed; because it has an incredible number of nice shops where many things, if not everything, may be found at a good price; because of its picturesque narrow streets and tall towers; because of the extensive view over Italy that may be had from this natural balcony; because being able to cross a border that is hardly visible and only for tourism, without passports and customs checks, satisfies the desire that we all feel to travel abroad.

- Theme Parks of Romagna:
Mirabilandia and Italy in Miniature..

Mirabilandia is the best funfair of the Adriatic Riviera in the Romagna region and always offers new games and attractions (the Maya, Autosplash, 4D Cinema, Scuola di Polizia (Police School), Balloons, etc.), a real paradise for families with young children, young adults and everyone who wants to enjoy themselves.

Mirabilandia offers: Shows, Attractions, Games of Skill, Bars, Restaurants, Shops and various facilities.

For info: www.mirabilandia.it

In Rimini there is an Italy which is smaller than the real one but just as unusual and fascinating. It has been receiving and astonishing visitors for 37 years.

Italy in Miniature is the theme park dedicated to the historical, architectonic and cultural heritage of Italy and since 1970 it has been combining pleasure with learning.

This is the only place where, besides being greatly impressed, one may ‘travel’ and even learn something by walking among the 272 perfect scale reproductions of Italy’s architectural wonders.

This is the only place where one may ride along the Grand Canal in a gondola in a ‘Venice’ which is one fifth the size of the original, and even meet Casanova!