Porto Tolle, RO, Scardovari, 7 March 2023. Mara is inside the 'cavana', which are stilt houses used by fishermen for breeding mussels and clams and for sheltering boats. Aquaculture in the Scardovari lagoon has been developing since the 1970s through the Consortium of Cooperative Fishermen of Polesine. This company, which is one of the leading shellfish producers in Europe, has obtained the UNI-ISO 9001 quality certification, which is unique in Italy. It brings together 14 cooperatives and has 1470 members, with a workforce that is almost half female. Many of these workers were previously employed in the thermoelectric plant, agriculture, or the textile artisan sector.

Porto Tolle, RO, 28 September 2022. Workers are engaged in demolishing the last tank in the southern industrial area of the Polesine Camerini power plant. In the background stands a 250-meter chimney, the tallest masonry tower in Italy, housing four smokestacks that were used to release combustion gases into the atmosphere. It is so prominent that it has become an integral part of the Polesine landscape, serving as a notable landmark for sailors seeking direction.

Porto Tolle, RO, 7 September 2023. Aerial view from a helicopter of part of the industrial thermoelectric site that is being decommissioned. In the background, there is the mouth of the Po di Pila, the Bùrcio Lagoon, and the Isola della Batteria. The colossal Polesine Camerini power plant, one of the largest ever built, was planned in the 1960s after the significant floods in 1951 and 1956. The purpose of the power plant was to prevent emigration and meet around 10% of Italy's electricity needs. It consisted of four groups, each generating 660 megawatts, and operated at full capacity for twenty years on a marshy area spanning over 300 hectares.

Rosolina, RO, 15 November 2023. Valle Spolverina (Casonetto). Fishermen engaged in the so-called "Fraìma": the traditional harvest of fish raised in the valley, near the onset of winter. In autumn, as temperatures drop, the fish instinctively seek their way back to the sea. However, the valleys are extensive enclosed basins, making this migration virtually impossible. Following the introduction of new saltwater, the fish are induced to swim into a specific channel where they are captured using a single net and then caught with large mesh nets. The fish are immediately sorted, and those that haven't reached the commercially viable size are returned to the fishponds. Fish raised in the valley grow under semi-natural conditions, never fed, and require meticulous management, a result of the daily application of empirical knowledge passed down orally by valley dwellers for generations since the Renaissance.

Porto Viro, RO, 2023 April 26. The interior of the isolated church dedicated to Saint Giovanni Bosco, located in Polesinin, near Scanarello along the dirt road of Via delle Valli. The enhancement of the small sanctuary, which until 10 years ago was a forgotten building turned into a dump, was economically carried out by the Mori sisters, the Benetti family, and Girello, the latter having emigrated from Polesine to Sardinia during World War II to work in rice fields and later in Turin.

Porto Tolle, RO, 1 July 2023. Children are playing in the water park of the Barricata tourist village in Bonelli. The village covers an area of 5 hectares and offers camping pitches, mobile homes, tents and lodges. It is located between the Po di Tolle and the Scardovari Lagoon. The Organization of Management of the Tourist Destination (OGD) "Po and its Delta" was established in 2013 by the Veneto Regional Park Authority of the Po Delta. Its goal is to promote sustainable, responsible, and environmentally friendly tourism. This includes considering the impact on the environment, the ethical impact on the local population, and the economic and social development of the area.

Porto Tolle, RO, 28 September 2022. The land is worked in the fields during autumn with seagulls and egrets. In the past, the agricultural activity was characterized by large-scale land exploitation practices. However, with the implementation of land reform, reclamation efforts, and regional and community development plans, there has been a shift towards more sustainable land use. This involved the establishment of small and medium-sized locally managed properties that focus on traditional crops such as wheat, corn, beet, rice, alfalfa, as well as new horticultural practices.

Porto Viro, RO, 2023 April 26. Interior of an abandoned house near Scanarello. This is a typical two-story farmhouse with rooms arranged in an "L" shape, delineating the large courtyard of the agricultural estate. Between 1950 and 1966, the agricultural population was severely affected by calamitous events such as floods and subsidence caused by methane gas extractions. Those engaged in agriculture decreased from 59.7% in 1951 to 17.8% in 1981, further declining to 4.3% by 2001. Currently, social and economic conditions in human settlements within the Delta have significantly changed, although public services remain inadequate, and job insecurity persists.

Porto Tolle, RO, 2022 April 21. Demolition operations of the second boiler inside the thermoelectric power plant located in Polesine Camerini. The plant, owned by Enel, was a power generation facility, among the first in Europe and the largest in Italy, situated on 300 hectares of public land. Before its construction, the area was a marshy valley, abandoned public land, later acquired by the Veneto Region. This plant was one of the symbols of the post-war 'Italian miracle', which within a generation transformed the physical, social, and economic fabric of the impoverished and rural Polesine area into an industrial reality.

Porto Viro, RO, 2023 December 16. Plastic molds of ducks hanging on the walls of the hunting lodge in Valle Ca’Pasta, with freshly hunted prey piled on the floor. The hunting use of the Venetian Valleys dates back to the times of the Venetian Republic ‘Serenissima’, used by the aristocracy, which passed down the techniques of valley hunting and the associated land management over the centuries. Currently, climate change has affected the migration patterns of waterfowl, compromising the water salinity levels, sediment load, and microalgae formation. Consequently, the management of the Valley ecosystems has necessitated significant evolution. Timely interventions have become essential according to the changing seasonal conditions, including maintaining active water circulation, excavation works to create artificial lagoons and embankments, planting suitable tree species to support bird nesting, providing nourishment based on migration, and controlling pollutants (such as nitrogen) through the maintenance of aquatic plants that ensure submerged grasslands, crucial for waterfowl

Porto Viro, RO, 4 June 2023. Don Agostino celebrates Mass in the small church of San Giovanni Bosco, located in Polesinin, near Scanarello, which is part of the municipality of Porto Viro. The church, which has been unused for years, only opens its doors to the faithful on the first Sunday of June. This event is particularly significant for many emigrants who had to leave the area due to the lack of job opportunities. Among the attendees, there are numerous emigrants from Piedmont who make an annual pilgrimage to this celebration

Porto Tolle, RO, 2022 March 23. Workers are operating inside a tank to empty and clean it before the demolition in the Polesine Camerini power plant. This power plant began operating in 1980 but stopped production in 2009 and officially closed in 2015. The decommissioning of thermal power plants is gradually taking place due to the "energy revolution," where renewable energy sources play a crucial role. Enel is leading the Futur-e project, which aims to redevelop the power plant sites based on principles of economic, social, and environmental sustainability, as well as innovation and circular economy methods.

Porto Tolle, RO, 2022 April 13. A cultivated land with a drainage canal in the foreground, located in the area of Polesine Camerini. Reclamation activities have played a crucial role in the development of a fragile and hydraulically hazardous territory, influenced by the water levels of both the river and the sea. However, the profitability of the land has been significantly hampered due to the substantial increase in ongoing expenses required for both regular and extraordinary maintenance of reclamation works. These expenses also cover the operation of drainage systems used to combat subsidence and the salinization of underground aquifers.

Porto Tolle, RO, 2021 November 3rd. A large decomissioning site with a highly qualified design team is carrying out demolition operations within the industrial site of the power plant in Polesine Camerini, with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. Futur-e represents a circular economy project, a virtuous example of conversion from high-impact, polluting energy technology to an eco-friendly tourism model aimed at conservation and environmental protection.

Porto Tolle, Ca’ Venier, RO, 2022 November 1st. An elderly fisherman on the bank of the Po di Maistra, an ancient main branch of the great river that currently carries only 2% of the total water flow but is considered the best-preserved and wildest natural stretch of the territory. This area is characterized by vegetation consisting of poplars, white willows, and reed beds.

Porto Tolle, RO, 2021 March 9. The control room of the Polesine Camerini thermoelectric plant before its demolition. The power plant was conceived in the 1960s in response to floods, aiming to counter emigration and stimulate local employment through infrastructure and social development (the number of employees in the industrial sector increased from 23.3% in 1951 to 41.9% in 2001). Simultaneously, the plant was intended to meet Italy's increasing energy demand at that time.Through the area's reconversion project, there is a transition from an industrial model based on resource depletion to consolidating the natural inclination toward sustainable tourism. The latter is characterized by responsible resource utilization and environmental conservation.

Porto Tolle, RO, 2023 December 6. A rice storage warehouse, known as the 'white gold of the Delta', at the end of the harvesting period at the Canella Agricultural Company in Donzella. This crop is at risk due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors that have rapidly intensified in recent years: an increase in low flow rates of the river; rising sea levels (eustatism); saltwater intrusion and the accumulation of salts in underground aquifers, causing progressive aridity and micro-desertification. When the salinity of water in irrigation channels exceeds the value of 2 per thousand, agricultural crops are severely at risk: only rice crops can barely tolerate a slightly higher value, reaching a maximum of 3 per thousand. The overall effect of these phenomena bears the characteristics of a genuine environmental emergency. Currently, there are 1700 hectares dedicated to rice cultivation in the Delta.

Porto Tolle, RO, 2022 October 4. Arrangement of logistic support infrastructures allowing the entry of Po di Pila waters into the Polesine Camerini power plant. The production units included auxiliary systems for softening and demineralization of process water, along with systems for purifying wastewater through chemical-physical treatment and oil removal. The plant consisted of 4 sections, each with a gross efficient power of 660 MW. Each section comprised a steam generator fueled by fuel oil, a steam turbine, and a 20 kV voltage alternator. The boilers were fed by 2 tanks of 50,000 cubic meters and 5 tanks of 100,000 cubic meters. The power plant had two 380 kV lines connected to the Dolo (VE) and Forlì stations.

Porto Tolle, Scardovari, RO, 2023 June 29. The attractions with amusement rides at the Luna Park set up for the Fishermen's Festival during the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Volunteers from the Fishermen's Cooperative have organized a gastronomic stand featuring local fish, a market, a dance floor, and bingo games during the weekend.

Porto Tolle, RO, 2023 June 29. The interior of the chimney of the decommissioned Enel thermoelectric power plant located in Polesine Camerini, where the emptying works are currently underway. A study commission from the University of Padua is assessing whether to preserve this extremely tall structure, which could pose maintenance and, above all, safety issues for guests of the future tourist facility. From the top of the terrace, 250 meters high, it is possible to distinguish, beyond the Adriatic, Istria and Dalmatia.

Rosolina, RO, 2023 November 15. The main canal, known as Colaùro, in Valle Spolverina, where the farmed fish is channeled during the fishing season with the help of a boat and a net. The recent market price collapse of traditionally farmed fish species in the valleys (such as sea bass, bream, and mullet), coupled with the decrease in average productivity per hectare caused by pollution and predation (for instance, by Cormorants), has led to a gradual abandonment of fishing activities in many valley enterprises. This has resulted in environmental changes, with many deep saltwater basins being converted into hunting lakes, causing a decrease in water levels, an increase in water freshening, and alterations in the morphology of emerged areas, as well as changes in the variety of flora and fauna present.

Porto Tolle, Bonelli RO, 2023 July 1st. The equipped bathing establishment located on the Conchiglie Beach in Barricata, at the mouth of the Po di Tolle

Porto Viro, RO, Valle Ca’Pasta, 2023 December 16. At mid-morning, once the hunt is over, the so-called 'boatmen' close the cement barrels, fixed positions that allowed hunters to remain hidden and only lean out at the moment of shooting. The boatmen also collect the 'decoy game,' which consists of a set of fake ducks distributed before dawn to attract the wild ones. They also handle retrieving hunted prey and wounded ducks with the help of trained dogs such as Labradors and Spinoni. All activities supporting the hunting day are carried out by local staff, residents from surrounding towns, and managed by the 'Capovalle.' The traditional hunting of wild ducks in the Delta, if conducted sustainably and under control, can contribute to the preservation of the wetland habitat.

Porto Tolle, RO, 2023 January 11. An ancillary structure of the Polesine Camerini power plant, located on the Po di Pila. The fuel oil required for its operation was transported by tanker ships from the nearby Port of Ravenna, which sailed up the Po river. Despite accusations and evidence of water contamination due to leaks of combustible substances, thermal and air pollution, the power plant brought resources to strengthen the defense lines of the current Delta and was the primary source of income for the Municipality of Porto Tolle.

Porto Tolle, RO, 7 March 2023. Giada, a mussel breeder, is working in the nursery in the Scardovari Lagoon. Aquaculture is considered environmentally friendly and it is of great interest in the search for sustainable alternatives to the production of safe, nutritious, and healthy food. Mussel cultivation has the lowest environmental impact among animal production systems. Firstly, these species do not require feed as they feed autonomously on phytoplankton by filtering the water and build their shells by synthesizing calcium carbonate from the sea. The issue that remains is the dispersion of plastic nets used for breeding, but biodegradable solutions are already being implemented.

Porto Tolle, RO, 18 April 2023. The third boiler tower of the thermoelectric plant in Polesine Camerini is being dismantled. Futur-e project aims to transform 24 industrial sites in Italy, into eco-friendly places dedicated to science, art, culture or tourism, following the concept of the circular economy. This innovative project focuses on "sustainability" and is based on three main guidelines: economic, environmental, and social.

Porto Viro, RO, 2023 June 4. The local people gather on Sunday afternoons in the courtyard in front of the large grain storage warehouses located in the countryside near Scanarello. In the various ways in which the delta has been inhabited, optimal constructions in relation to the territory have not been realized, perhaps because those who developed it did not actually inhabit it. The control of water has determined the destiny of the territory and, consequently, human settlements. Massive exoduses, occurring multiple times (at the beginning of the twentieth century and in the fifties), have emptied the Polesine, a mixture of water and land. The challenging environmental conditions, hydraulic insecurity, and the phenomenon of land subsidence have always remained adversities to be faced. So much so that the Polesine has always been the most depressed area in the Veneto Region.

Porto Tolle, RO, Santa Giulia, 29 April 2023. Navigation from the Bottonera Canal to the Po di Gnocca near its mouth during low tide. In the background, there is the flooded former rice warehouse in the Bottonera Lagoon. This land has been lost due to subsidence, which is the sinking of the soil caused by methane extraction. The extraction of the valuable resource known as "Delta gold" increased significantly from 26 million cubic meters in 1946 to 300 million cubic meters in 1951. As a result, 1351 wells were opened in Polesine in 1956. The soil sank at a rate of more than 30 cm per year between 1950 and 1957. The ban on extraction was only implemented in 1963.