Comacchio

Comacchio sits on islands among the lagoons of the Po delta, linked by canals and bridges, of which the Trepponti of 1638 is the emblem, a brick structure carrying five staircases over the meeting of several channels. The town's economy was eels: caught in autumn on their migration through traps called lavorieri, then cooked and preserved in vinegar at the Manifattura dei Marinati, a nineteenth-century works with twelve fireplaces where the fish were spit-roasted, now restored and open. A Roman cargo ship from the first century BC was found in the marshes in 1981 and its contents are displayed in the town.

History

The origin of the name is uncertain, perhaps from the Greek-Latin cumaculum, "small wave", and the founding is credited to the Etruscans already settled in the Po delta. After the Etruscans and the Gauls the site was annexed by Rome, and under Augustus, who ruled from 27 BC to AD 14, a canal was dug here (Wikipedia, Comacchio).

Highlights

• The Trepponti - a 1638 brick bridge of five staircases over the canals.
• The eel works - the Manifattura dei Marinati with its roasting hall.
• The Roman ship - a first-century BC cargo vessel found in the marshes.
• The lagoon boats - trips out among the delta valleys and birdlife.

When to go

April to October; the eel festival is in October, at the traditional catching season. Summer brings mosquitoes to the lagoons. Winter is cold and foggy.

Practical notes

Mosquitoes in the lagoons can be severe in summer evenings. Boat tours are seasonal and weather dependent. The eel works keeps limited hours.

Nearby

Ferrara lies west; the Po delta surrounds the town.