For nature lovers, Gualtieri’s floodplain offers opportunities to explore in every season. The land enclosed between the main embankment of the River Po and its riverbed is rich and diverse, shaped by both natural features and human history.

Not many years ago, the River Po and its floodplain were vibrant and bustling with activity: across these woods, people lived and worked -fishermen, millers on the river, farmers, boatmen, laundresses, quarry workers, etc.-, even the renowned painter and sculptor Antonio Ligabue dwelled here during  some of the most difficult times of his life.

The floodplain is divided into the “closed floodplain” and the “open floodplain”, separated by a secondary embankment about one meter lower than the main one, built to contain the river’s first floodwaters. The closed floodplain, nestled between the two embankments, is characterized by cultivated fields and a few farmhouses -many of which are now in ruin- along with an 18th-century village, once established  and inhabited by the Sabiaroli, right where the stream meets the Po.Within this area lies a protected natural site formed from a former clay pit, known as “I Caldarén”. On the river-facing side, the open floodplain features extensive poplars plantations interspersed native groves, abandoned quarry lakes, beehives and oxbow lakes - an ideal habitat for diverse species of flora and fauna.  

Following the cycle-route that connects Gualtieri, Boretto and Guastalla, you can discover striking natural landmarks along the way: the Island of the Interned, Lago Azzurro, I Caldarén, via Alzaia, the Piattello quarry, and the Malaspina quarry. From the golena, one can admire the magnificent silhouette of Gualtieri’s towers and palace rising behind the main embankment: a captivating view where nature and architecture blend in harmony. Viale Po, lined with black poplars, leads directly from Gualtieri’s town center to the right embankment of the Po. The "open floodplain” is also designated as a Site of Community Importance (Siti di Interesse Comunitario; SIC). 

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