Lagosanto between history, water management and Comacchio

Lagosanto is located a few kilometres from Comacchio and its Valli. The town combines a varied history with traces of the drainage and land reclamation works that profoundly transformed the area. This development gave rise to an agricultural centre.

Historical traces in the townscape

The origins of Lagosanto are considered unknown. However, they are probably thought to date back to pre-Roman times and to be connected with nearby Spina. The centre was established as Lago and became Lagosanto around the year 1000 because the Benedictine monk S. Appiano lived and died there. The history of the name thus leads from Lago to the present-day name Lagosanto. The present parish church of Santa Maria della Neve also reflects the town’s long development: its construction was decided in 1632 on the site of the former church, and it was consecrated on 4 January 1644.

The Torre dell’Orologio in Lagosanto houses a permanent exhibition featuring a local herbarium. In addition to the history of the church, the town’s plant life is therefore also a focus. Another local memory concerns the now-disappeared fiocinino, a fishing figure associated with Lagosanto. It was commemorated through the programme “Le giornate del fiocinino”. In its 2025 edition, the municipality of Lagosanto held the Antica Fiera d’Agosto for the 451st time. For those interested in culture, this brings together historical, natural-history and water-management topics.

Water, canals and the Marozzo pumping station

The history of Lagosanto is particularly closely connected with the transformation of its water landscape. Until the 1970s, the Canale di Marozzo ran through the town. It was considered possibly the oldest transport route in the Basso Ferrarese. Today, the historical perspective continues to Marozzo di Lagosanto: the Marozzo pumping station is located there on a branch of the Po di Volano.

The historic pumping station remained in operation until 1986. A new modern pumping station was then built in the immediate vicinity. The facility enabled the drainage of Valle Gallare and the surrounding areas, and is therefore directly connected with the land reclamation that turned Lagosanto into an agricultural centre. The Casa della memoria is also located in the area of the pumping station. It is planned as the first museum facility within a broader project for the complete structural restoration of the former pumping station, with the aim of dedicating it to a museum and documentation centre on mechanical drainage.

Activities for different interests

One specific activity in Lagosanto is archery at the Compagnia Arcieri Laghesi. After making contact by telephone, it invites interested visitors to try their hand at archery. The archery range is available to experienced visitors holidaying in the area.

More destinations

Ca' Matte, Portomaggiore, Cona, Lido Delle Nazioni, Argenta, Lido Di Volano, Stellata, Malborghetto di Boara

To the higher-level travel overview: Ferrara.