Discover what to do in Canaro: the Santa Sofia fair, a bike ride in Canaro, the church of Santa Sofia. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Canaro?
The municipality of Canaro borders to the north with Frassinelle Polesine, to the south with Ferrara, to the east with Polesella and Riva del Po, to the west with Fiesso Umbertiano and Occhiobello.
The Santa Sofia fair
According to the liturgical calendar, the celebration of Santa Sofia falls on September 30. In the municipality of Canaro, the ancient event also takes place in the days before and after this date.
The 2023 edition of the Santa Sofia fair took place from Thursday, September 28 to Sunday, October 1 in the town center.
On the occasion of the centuries-old recurrence, the historic heart of Canaro reconciles the solemnity of the holy mass with the carefree atmosphere of a lively popular festival featuring swirling rides bright with colored lights, musical shows, dance evenings, and indulgent specialties that enhance the local gastronomy, from donkey meat with polenta and fried eel to bigoli pasta with ragù.
If you are wondering what to do in Canaro, the Santa Sofia fair is an unmissable opportunity to visit the splendid parish church and learn about the culture and traditions of a welcoming town immersed in the green Po Valley plain, lapped by the majestic Po River.
For more information about the Santa Sofia fair, you can consult the Facebook page Pro Loco Canaro.
Bike ride in Canaro
The starting point of the itinerary is the parking lot on Via Argine Poazzo Inferiore, next to the parish playing field. At the exit of the parking lot, turn left and follow Via Argine Poazzo Inferiore for 130 meters towards the church of Santa Sofia. At the roundabout, take the first exit and follow Via Roma and Via Nazario Sauro for just over 2.5 km, towards the village of Crociara.
The first part of the route goes into the boundless Po Valley plain dotted with centuries-old rustic farmhouses surrounded by vast cornfields and lush orchards. The path offers a suggestive view of a ruined red brick oratory, slowly devoured by climbing vegetation (44.94818587933915, 11.68123632442719).
Once you reach the village of Crociara, turn right onto Via Romana and proceed for 2.6 km northeast towards the center of Chiesa, where there is an austere brick church with a double-pitched facade. At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Piazza G. Marconi and proceed for 3.8 km on Via Camilla Benso Conte di Cavour and Via G. Tasso.
The route crosses the village of Zanforlinetta, extending along the grassy banks of a canal covered with common reeds. The artificial waterway furrows the fertile countryside of Rovigo, dotted with charming rural homes framed by well-kept gardens and shaded by rows of cypress poplars.
At the fork (44.95965349195431, 11.728137004029263), keep right and follow Via Raccano for about 300 meters, then keep right again and follow provincial road 21 for 1 km, then continue on Via Guglielmo Oberdan for just over 2.5 km. The route winds through the silent rural landscape dotted with ancient farmhouses and sparse hedges of acacias and oaks. Cross the small bridge on your left, then keep right and follow Via Argine Poazzo Inferiore for about 2 km until you return to the starting point.
How to reach the 1058 brewery from Canaro
From the church of Santa Sofia in Piazza XX Settembre, 1, follow Via Roma and Via Nazario Sauro towards Crociara for 2.4 km, then turn right onto Via Viezze. Follow Via Viezze and Via Armando Diaz for 950 meters. On your right is the renowned craft brewery. Continue on Via Viezze for 2.5 km east, then at the intersection turn right to rejoin the main itinerary on Via Guglielmo Oberdan.
The church of Santa Sofia
Facing west, the facade of the church is tripartite by four Doric pilasters resting on high bases, framing two side niches housing statues of saints. In the center of the front opens the wooden portal, surmounted by a dentiled triangular tympanum, above which stands another niche topped by a lowered arch.
Above the pilasters stands a frieze punctuated by triglyphs and medallions, finished with a dentil cornice. Completing the vertical development of the structure is the curved pediment, also dentiled, placed above an attic in the center of which stands the abbreviation DOM (Deo Optimo Maximo).
If you are wondering what to do in Canaro, the church of Santa Sofia houses inside charming paintings, sculptures, and bas-reliefs of enormous value.
