Comacchio is a small town in a lagoon of the Po Delta built on 13 islets joined by bridges, like a mini-Venice. Settlement here goes back to the Etruscans, and for a time Comacchio flourished due to its salt pans. Later however, powerful neighbours (including Venice, Ferrara and The Holy See) controlled its fate, rarely to the benefit of its inhabitants.
For a long time, Comacchio was a poor town, where people managed as best they could, often by poaching and other nefarious activities. It’s a resilient and resourceful past of which many present-day inhabitants are proud. The wetlands south of the town (Valli di Comacchio) are designated a ‘Special Protection Area’ and the shore is dotted with interesting fishermen’s huts. Today a visit to this unique town is an essential part of any northern Italian food and wine tour.
Stay Al Ponticello
The hospitality at this B&B is a breath of fresh air in a town that sometimes feels a little wary of outsiders. Riccardo and Sarah go above and beyond to look after their guests and provide an extensive breakfast buffet that’s fresh, healthy and delicious. They also run a small bar in the evening for guests wanting aperitivi. Many of the modern, comfortable rooms overlook the canal and the pretty stone bridge for which the B&B is named.
Eat La Zanzara
Diners are completely in the chef’s hands at this special restaurant in a former fishing station on a small Delta island. There is no menu. Chef Sauro Bison serves ultra-local seafood – from the Po Delta and Upper Adriatic – prepared in his own way; and he does it beautifully. His partner and brother Samuele does an equally impressive job with the wine pairing, again showcasing wines produced very close by.
Drink Bar Ragno
Beside the clocktower on the town’s central piazza, Bar Ragno is my favourite spot in Comacchio for people watching. It is what it is – a casual local bar serving good panini, gelati, coffee and drinks in a wonderful historic setting. The location and the friendly service make it special.
Nature Bosco Forte Sunset Walk
Al Ponticello’s host, Riccardo Rescazzi (above), is an accredited environmental guide – currently the only one with access to the privately-owned Bosco Forte wetlands in the Delta’s ‘Special Protection Area’ south of Comacchio. Here, armed with binoculars, he offers fun and fascinating guided sunset walks to see herds of semi-wild horses, as well as huge flocks of flamingos on the nearby salt pans.
History Museums
Comacchio’s neoclassical Ancient Delta Museum houses the cargo of a Roman ship discovered nearby in 1981, while eel fishing – once the town’s main source of income – is celebrated in the historic eel marinating plant (Manifattura dei Marinati). Eel processing, a Slow Food Presidia, is now only done occasionally, but it’s well explained and the snippets of Sophia Loren’s 1954 film ‘La Dama del Fiume’, shot in Comacchio, are fun to see.
