In Emilia-Romagna, between the territories of Ravenna and Ferrara, the Comacchio Valleys represent a vast protected wetland area – the largest in Italy – which extends from the Po delta to the Romagna Riviera.

The four valleys – Lido di Magnavacca, Fossa di Porto, Valle Campo and Fattibello – from Comacchio to the Reno river, and their formation dates back to the Middle Ages when, due to the lowering of the soil, these areas ended up becoming swampy, receiving more later also salty waters coming from the Adriatic Sea, and today they are constituted for three quarters of brackish water.