The White Poplar
The white poplar, a distinctive element of the landscape of the territory close to the river Po, brings us back to the myth of Fetonte who dragged in his crazy flight on the cart of his father Elios fell into the river Po. His desperate sisters were transformed by gods pity in and into lithe white poplars and their tears in the precious amber.
There is a splendid commemorative coin from the Gonzaga period where Fetonte is depicted on the ungovernable chariot of the Sun and the river with poplars. And the white poplar surrounds the river's waters and the numerous ponds that are filled in the capricious rhythm of the seasons.
The white poplar is now a decorative element of botanical respect, once used in carpentry and in the production of weaving straw for hats, bags and containers.
