Sacca degli Scardovari Historical Timeline

Origins

The sacche of the delta formed as the river built its fan seaward and sandbars closed off shallow bays behind them -- a process that is still going on.

Turning points

The delta as it exists dates from the Taglio di Porto Viro of 1600-1604, when Venice diverted the Po southward to stop its silt filling the lagoon. The Scardovari basin is a product of the growth that followed.

Influential people

Fishing here was traditionally for eel and lagoon fish. Shellfish farming is the modern development, and it now dominates the basin: the mussels of Scardovari hold protected designation.

Cultural evolution

The 1951 flood emptied much of the Polesine, and the fishing communities around the sacca shrank with it. What remains is a smaller and older population than a century ago.

Present-day significance

The basin now sits inside the Po Delta regional park and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and its two economies -- shellfish and birds -- share the same water.