GRADO BETWEEN NATURE AND HISTORY

 

The Grado lagoon is a lagoon located in the Upper Adriatic that extends from Fossalon di Grado to the island of Anfora, at the mouth of the Ausa and Corno rivers.

The lagoon, which occupies an area of about 90 square kilometers, is divided into an eastern sector (palù de sora) and a western sector (palù de soto) by the dam on which the road that connects Grado to the mainland runs.

The origins of the lagoon are recent. In fact, the mainland prevailed in the area until the fifth century, as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds, including the Roman road, now entirely covered by water, which connected Aquileia to its port of Grado.

Characteristic of the lagoon is the presence of casoni, simple houses with thatched roof and door facing west used in the past by the fishermen of Grado.

From a naturalistic point of view, the lagoon is rich in tree species, and in particular in tamarisks, elms, poplars, junipers and pines. The fauna has a remarkable variety of birds, including gulls, egrets, gray herons, mallards, sea swallows. Fish farming is important, with the presence of numerous fishing valleys.

The typical boat of the inhabitants of the lagoon is the batèla, with a flat bottom and rowed. The batèla, generally 5 to 10 meters long, is led by an oarsman standing at the stern and can be equipped with a mast.

The lagoon, which borders the Marano lagoon to the west, is crossed longitudinally by the Litoranea Veneta waterway, a waterway that connects Venice with the mouth of the Isonzo and Trieste.