Ostiglia on the Po: History, Nature and Cycling

Ostiglia on the Po: History, Nature and Cycling

Ostiglia lies on the left bank of the Po and is crossed by the ancient Via Claudia Augusta Padana. The town thus offers a combination of river landscape, cultural history and nature observation.

Archaeology and Palazzina Mondadori

At the Museo civico archeologico di Ostiglia, two halls are dedicated to finds from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman period; a third large room is used for exhibitions and an educational area.

The visiting status of the Museo Archeologico is as follows: it is closed indefinitely due to the 2012 earthquake. The museum’s indefinite visiting status should be taken into account as a separate item in cultural planning.

The Palazzina Mondadori is a restored Liberty-style building that housed Arnoldo Mondadori’s first printing house. The building contains his personal library of around 1,000 books; some of them are signed by their respective authors. It also includes classrooms, multimedia rooms and exhibition rooms.

Towers, Battlement Walkway and Religious Buildings

Only the three towers—Campanaria, dell’Orologio and delle Prigioni—remain of Ostiglia’s historic castle. The Museo delle Torri is located in the first two surviving towers and in the battlement walkway connecting them. It displays finds illustrating Ostiglia’s history from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta dates from the end of the 19th century. Its large Palladian-style floor contains three inlaid mosaic pieces. In the hamlet of Comuna near Ostiglia stands the Santuario della Beata Vergine, which dates from the end of the 14th century and was redesigned during the Renaissance by Giulio Romano.

Paludi di Ostiglia and Po Island

The Paludi di Ostiglia is part of the Natura 2000 network and is among Italy’s internationally important wetlands. It is home to 175 bird species. Observation huts and telescopes are available for birdwatching.

Between Ostiglia and Revere, a small island of approximately 37 hectares lies in the riverbed of the Po. At low water, it can be reached on foot or by boat. For choosing between access on foot and by boat, the water level remains the relevant factor. The island is classified as a Sito di Importanza Comunitario (SIC) and Zona di Protezione Speciale (ZPS) and belongs to the European Natura 2000 ecological network.

Cycling on a Former Railway Line

The former military railway connecting Treviso and Ostiglia has been converted into a cycle path. The Ostiglia-Treviso cycle path is flat and lined with trees; it runs mainly along paved roads or gravel paths. Anyone planning the route in sections should take both paved roads and gravel paths into account.

More destinations: Gazoldo Degli Ippoliti, Pietole, Suzzara, Gonzaga, Pomponesco, San Giacomo Delle Segnate, Scorzarolo, Roverbella

To the higher-level travel overview: Mantua.