Comacchio

Comacchio is a small town with canals near Ferrara and a wetland known as the Valli di Comacchio.

Comacchio was actually destroyed by its larger canal-ed brother, Venice, because it was a rival in the salt trade.

Comacchio houses a Roman history museum called the Ancient Delta Museum. Comacchio was an important Roman city. This Roman stone has nice Bucranium.

An enhanced Roman graveyard recreation

A sunken Roman ship was found during land reclamation near Comacchio. These are some Spanish lead ingots recovered from the wreck.

Small personal votive temples found in the shipwreck

The museum has an excellent layout.

The Trepponti bridge, built in 1638

Eel is a Comacchio specialty.

The town's restaurant district

A better view of the Treppponti

Fisherman huts on the Valli Di Comacchio

You can hike across the lagoon

Large flocks of flamingos inhabit the wetlands

Ferrara

Ferrara is a UNESCO city situated on a branch of the Po River that has existed since the Etruscans. It grew to the height of its power under the Este family, who built the city into an impregnable swamp fortress.

The strange bread popular in Ferrara

Typical Ferrara Cappellacci with ragu and pumpkin

Ferrara Cathedral

Niccolo III d'Este and Borgo d'Este's statues guard the entrance to the Palazzo Municipale

Este Castle was built to better protect the family from rioting citizens.

That great agitator, Savonarola, was born in Ferrara.

The Este Castle moat can be navigated by boat.

Borgo seems to be an affable chap.

Art of a bored prisoner of the Este family

The view from a turret of Este Castle.

Castle staff use parchment paper to repair the castle's 500 year old frescoes.

Ferrara has extensive fortifications that still stand today. The swamp that surrounded it also offered enhance protection, but much of the Po delta has been drained to make farmland today.

The Queen (Regina), an ancient cannon made in 1556 for Ercole II d'Este.

Ferrara has an excellent archeology museum. Here are a collection of vases from Spina, Ferrara's Etruscan predecessor, with names of their Etruscan, Greek, Venetic, and Celt owners inscribed on the base.

Nice horse cup

Quite the lion

Spina was a major trade hub for Greek pottery, and the collection found there is the best example of Greek pottery from 400-500 B.C.

Other goods found at Spina

Gold jewlery

Greeks bought Amber from Spina that made its way to Italy from the Baltic amber route.

Excellent fish dishes

You can touch the ancient vases?!

The museum has an excellent map room

A restored fresco from 1517

The archeology museum is housed in a 15th century nobleman's house.

The art of perspective

A classic grotesque

One of the creepier rooms I've been in.

Ferrara was never conquered under the Este, but passed to the Papal States in 1597 when Alfonso II d'Este died without a heir.

Rimini

Rimini is a popular beach resort town on the Adriatic Coast that has been ruled by Etruscans, Celts, Romans, Ostrogoths, Lombards, and Italians. The Bridge of Tiberius was built in 20 A.D. and was the only bridge on the Marecchia River not successfully destroyed by the Germans as they retreated northwards in World War 2.

Like all great cities, Rimini has some bizarre graffiti.

Sismondo Castle was built by the Malatesta lords of Rimini in 1437. Brunelleschi is said to have helped design it.

Mussolini donated this statues of Julius Caesar to Rimini to recognize it as the location where Caesar said "Alea iacta est," the die has been cast, as he crossed the Rubicon river (stream).

The Arch of Augustus was dedicated in 27 B.C. and is the oldest standing Roman arch in the world.

Many churches in Rimini display skillful brickwork.

The Italian government owns and regulates all beaches. It distributes small plots to private renters who manage their segment and can charge money for amenities on it. I walked past over 50 segments of Rimini's beaches while I was there.

During the high season, the beaches are covered with beach chairs and umbrellas you can rent. I'm told Rimini is overrun with Russians in the summer.