While Rome was built on seven hills, Comacchio was built on 13 separate lagoon islands. Until the 19th century, the ancient Etruscan city - like Venice - was connected solely by bridges.
The sea and the lagoon also shaped and still shape the economy of the municipality on the Po Delta: until the middle of the 20th century, deep-sea fishing and the breeding of eels were the main source of income for the inhabitants. Today it is the bathing tourism at the Lido de Comacchio.

The inhabitants of the small town honor the endangered eel with a festival lasting several days: food stands line the embankment of the Fattibello, offering wine from the nearby Bosco Eliceo growing region. Or Grana Padano from Treviso.
And of course eel from Comacchio in countless preparations. The most popular: straight from the charcoal grill with a piece of polenta.

Visitors can learn how the eel is farmed on an excursion to the fish stations in the lagoons. And in a historic factory it is shown how the fish is marinated or roasted for resale.
Commented tastings of regional products such as wine, cheese or ham are also on the program, as are lectures on healthy nutrition.

For those who want to explore the charming surroundings of the Po Delta, the organizers have organized walks, bike tours and boat trips along the extensive network of canals and waterways.
Here you can marvel at an Etruscan mass grave, observe wild horses and bulls, or countless species of birds such as flamingos, black-winged stilts and sea snipes. But also a guided tour to Comacchio's monuments, to the grain loggia of 1621, to the Cathedral of San Cassiano or to the ruins of the Monastery of Sant Agostino are possible.

Film screenings, photo exhibitions and readings form the cultural framework of the two-week events. There are diverse jazz, rock and folklore performances.
A highlight are the races on one of the city canals. Similar to the gondoliers in Venice, the fishermen propel their flat boats with a long oar that they push sideways into the sea.