In recent years, locals have seen an uptick in tourists, boosted last year by pandemic travelers looking for outdoor diversions within the country. More visitors are becoming enchanted with this view, too. “What I love about this job is the constant proximity to nature and having a front-row view on the Po waters every single morning.” “I don’t feel like a feminist or disrupter,” she says. The 53-year-old says that for her the career change wasn’t a matter of ideology, but of devotion to the land. Inspired by Pizzo and other women, Oscarina Soncin took up a rasca years ago. Fishing on the delta is a physically demanding job. Right: Oscarina Soncin pulls her fishing boat, so can adjust its location without turning on the engine.

“Most women here work with their husbands, but I decided to work by myself, to be fully independent,” she says. In recent decades, women have been helping to boost the industry, choosing a profession that for generations was considered a “man’s job.” On tours, visitors learn about this history and meet the women, like Giovanna Pizzo, 49, who was born and raised in Porto Tolle and has dedicated 32 years of her life to aquafarming. In recent years, the industry has thrived, generating a yearly revenue of about 100 million euros before the pandemic. Many make their living by harvesting mussels and clams, but for centuries, fishing was considered a low-income profession. This mix of nature, history, and culture draws millions of tourists to the region annually, though only about 118,000 people call the reserve home. Inscribed together with the reserve as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, Ferrara is a prime example of a Renaissance-era city, whose ruling family once had an art collection that inspired the Medicis and the Pope. Ferrara offers a wealth of art museums and architectural ruins to poke around. Visitors typically set up home base in cities like Comacchio and Ferrara, whose close proximity to the delta make it easy to plan wildlife viewing day trips.ĭubbed “Little Venice” for its system of canals, Medieval Comacchio is far less crowded than its famous counterpart to the north. Beyond nature watching, sleepy fishing villages and historic cities scattered throughout the region are poised for exploration.

The fisherman - fishing planet ita