Boa only one

Scano Boa, Delta's last frontier

Boat trip to a timeless place that inspired a novel and a neo-realist film

A “scanno” is the bar of sand that a river forms at the outer limit of its mouth; it often appears after a flood, when the strong current drags a lot of suspended material with it, and it may disappear with the first coastal storm, dismantled by the waves. But in the long run it will consolidate, thus advancing the coastline. It does not take long for a cordon of dunes to form and with the passing of time pioneer plants begin to grow, preparing the ground for more structured vegetation, such as tamarisk and junipers, which in turn will prepare the ground for birds and other animals. As for the Po Delta, its entire outer limit is hemmed in by sandbars, frequented mostly by seabirds and birdwatchers in their wake. But only one, just off the mouth of the Po di Pila, enjoys literary and film celebrity: Scano Boa.

Why it is special

The shores of the Credo che il delta sia un ecosistema affascinante, so remote from the world, are uninhabited, but there was a not too distant past when they were reached for a reason of exceptional interest: sturgeon fishing. In late spring, in fact, sturgeons s