Fossil Dunes of Massenzatica Reserve
Timetable
The trail is free to use and open every day, subject to normal visiting rules.
The Visitor Centre is open from March to June and from September to October.
Opening days and times: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 9.30am-1pm | 3pm-6.30pm - Every Sunday at 4pm free guided tour
A few kilometers from Mesola, a true masterpiece of fossil landscape conservation has survived for thousands of years: the Massenzatica Fossil Dunes Nature Reserve.
The dunes form a complex of remarkable historical, naturalistic, and landscape value, as they represent the only remaining evidence in the entire regional territory of extensive wind-shaped dune systems dating back around 3,000 years. They are, in fact, the remnants of a dune ridge, what is left of an ancient Etruscan-era shoreline, spared from the agricultural anthropization of the last century.
The reserve covers an area of approximately 45 hectares of consolidated sandy dunes, rising more than 7 meters above sea level. These dunes stand out against the flat landscape of the surrounding reclaimed and cultivated lands. Embedded within an agricultural context, the reserve functions as a sort of natural island, clearly distinguishing itself from the monotony of the neighboring landscape. From an ecological standpoint, it plays a primary role in the conservation of important habitats and distinctive plant and animal species.
Visitor Notes
The fossil dune area is enclosed and generally accessible only via guided tours along designated routes, but visitors can also follow a path around the dunes to admire them from the outside. The small Visitor Centre occasionally offers guided tours for groups, featuring educational itineraries. In addition, this evocative location provides guided tours and accessible facilities for visually impaired visitors.
How to get there
The dunes are located between the villages of Massenzatica and Italba.
By car: From Bosco Mesola, take the road towards Ariano Ferrarese–Berra, continue to Massenzatica, and then turn left towards Pontelangorino–Codigoro.
