This town is situated seven metres above sea level on the fertile Po Valley plain between the Adige and Po rivers, in an intensely cultivated area which has been taken from the waters by centuries of land reclamation.
Of medieval origin (Rhodigium), until 1482 it belonged to the Este family, apart from brief interludes in the fourteenth century, when it was held by the Duchies of Padua and Venice. It was subsequently ruled in turn by Venice, the Este family, the French, Venice and the Estes again until, in 1514, it definitively became part of the Republic of Venice, sharing its fortunes.
Monuments: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele (16th century buildings), Accademia dei Concorsi (19th century, picture gallery), Duomo (already standing in the 10th century, it was rebuilt in the 17th century), Church of S. Bartolomeo (15th century), Church of S. Francesco (14th-15th century, Romanesque-Gothic), Chiesa della Beata Vergine del Soccorso (16th century, with bell tower designed by Longhena, 57 mm high; housing paintings of the 17th century Venetian school).
The economy is based principally on agriculture or on marketing the area's agricultural products (cereals, sugar beet, fruit, livestock).
Industry is expanding however, particularly in the foodstuffs sector (sugar refinery, pasta and salami factories, wine cellars and flour mills). The textile, chemical, engineering and wood-processing firms are of minor importance.
Events: Sagra d'autunno (20th October), seafood festivals in the seaside resorts on the Adriatic.
Famous People: Celio Rodigino (humanist, 1469-1525), Antonio Riccoboni (historian, 1540-1599), Giovanni Miani (explorer, 1810-1872).
Cultural Institutions: Pinacoteca (paintings by Bellini, Palma the Elder, Piazzetta, Tiepolo), Museo Archeologico dell'Accademia dei Concordi, Pinacoteca del Seminario (paintings by Strozzi, Palma the Younger, Piazzetta, Longhi), Museo della Civiltà in Polesine (Museum of the civilization of the Po Delta).
In the Province: Adria (archaeological museum), Lendinara (Boldrini Foundation), Fratta Polesine (Palazzo degli Estensi, 15th century, Abbazia di S. Maria della Vangadizza).
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