Discover Occhiobello on the Po

Occhiobello can be explored through several specific places: Parco della Rotta, Route GT 4, squares, villas, festivals and regional specialties offer different starting points for planning your trip. This brings landscapes, cycling culture, architecture, history and cuisine together within a compact thematic area.

Po Floodplains and Route GT 4

Parco della Rotta is a large green floodplain area directly on the River Po. You can reach the park via the riverside road. Route GT 4 also runs along the Venetian bank of the Po beside a broad floodplain. After crossing the railway, road and motorway bridges over the Po, the route leads into the municipality of Occhiobello, through Santa Maria Maddalena and then into the center of Occhiobello. This sequence links the river landscape, local districts and town center as different points of orientation.

Cycling Culture and Events

The 48th edition of “In sla rota ad Po – Summer Edition” brought cycling enthusiasts to Piazza Maggiore in Santa Maria Maddalena on Saturday, July 4.

Festivals in Squares and Parks

At the Sagra di San Lorenzo, the Ente Palio San Lorenzo Occhiobello ensemble performed with musicians and flag throwers. There were also food stalls offering first and second courses, filled sandwiches, piadine, hamburgers, side dishes and desserts. The Sagra di San Lorenzo, held from August 8 to August 14, also featured music, performances and dancing. The Fiera di Santa Maria Maddalena, held from July 11 to July 22, included performances, music and entertainment in Piazza Maggiore. On August 3, a performance took place in the park of Villa Pepoli in Santa Maria Maddalena as part of the “Tra ville e giardini” series.

Architecture Between Reconstruction and Villa

Today’s Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena and its bell tower were rebuilt between 1952 and 1955 based on designs by the architect Giovanni Battista Scarpari and the engineer Oscar Marin from Adria. Villa Savonarola generally reflects the rural settlement patterns of the Alto Medio Polesine and consists partly of adjoining and partly of separate elements.

The Savonarola Family: Memory and History

In Occhiobello, November 14, 1951—the anniversary of the flood in Polesine—is a day of remembrance for the victims swept away by the floodwaters. An older historical reference leads to Villa Occhiobello: On July 28, 1563, Duke Alfonso II enfeoffed Michele IV Savonarola, the son of Giovanni Battista, and his brothers Girolamo and Nicolò with a fief. The Savonarola family’s ownership continued even after the Este duchy was transferred to the Papal States, lasting until 1696, when it passed into the possession of the R.R.M.M. of S. Caterina da Siena in Ferrara.

Regional Cuisine

Local specialties of Occhiobello include cappelletti, cappellacci with pumpkin, garlic salami and salama da sugo. The traditional bread of Occhiobello and Santa Maria Maddalena is called “la ciupeta”.

Further destinations for planning your trip: Rosolina Mare, San Basilio, Pagana, Fratta Polesine, Pontecchio Polesine, Rosolina, Trecenta, Costa di Rovigo

For the higher-level travel overview: Rovigo.