Cycling Ariano island: San Basilio, the oak and the stone border

A loop of around 56 kilometres between the Po di Venezia and Po di Goro, linking a Roman staging post, a church built by the monks of Pomposa and an eighteenth-century stone border along the same route.

The Ariano island loop is around 56 kilometres long according to the Po Delta Park route sheet (58 in MagicoVeneto's survey). Almost entirely on asphalt, it takes 3–4 hours to ride, excluding stops. You can start in Ca' Vendramin or Taglio di Po. The route passes through San Basilio, where Etruscans, Romans and the monks of Pomposa left successive layers of history.

An island between two branches of the Po

Ariano island is the land enclosed by the Po di Venezia to the north and the Po di Goro to the south. The loop follows embankments and country roads through villages in the municipalities of Ariano nel Polesine and Taglio di Po. It is the second route in the ‘Il Delta in bici’ cycling plan, after the Donzella loop around the Sacca degli Scardovari lagoon.

Donzella loop

San Basilio: a Roman staging post beneath a monks' church

Between the sixth and fifth centuries BC, Etruscans, Greeks and Veneti lived together at San Basilio. In Roman times it was a staging post on the Via Popilia, the ‘mansio Hadriani’ shown on the Tabula Peutingeriana; the rural villa remained in use from the first century BC to the sixth century AD. In the ninth century, the Benedictine monks of Pomposa built the church on a fossil dune. The museum opened in 1995, and excavations resumed in 2019 with Ca' Foscari University and the University of Padua. An undocumented tradition holds that Dante stopped here in 1321. We have covered the more recent finds in ‘From the Delta to Parliament: the Stele delle Rose and the treasures of San Basilio’ and ‘Breakfast at the Museum’. The museum usually opens at weekends: check the current opening times before setting off.

From the Delta to Parliament: the Stele delle Rose and the treasures of San Basilio

Breakfast at the Museum

The oak of San Basilio

A pedunculate oak more than 500 years old once stood beside the church: the oak of San Basilio. It broke on 25 June 2013.

The Linea dei Pilastri: a border marked in stone

Between 1749 and 1751, Venice and the Papal States marked their border with a line of pillars: the Linea dei Pilastri. A restored pillar can be seen at Torre, in the Ariano area.

Santa Maria in Punta: where the river branches

At Santa Maria in Punta, the Po di Goro branches off from the main channel of the Po. The church houses a Dacci organ dating from 1784.

At the table: eel at RistòItalia, Porto Tolle

Foto RistòItalia.

From late September to December, subject to availability, RistòItalia in Porto Tolle grills Po Delta eel in 250–300 gram portions, then finishes it in the oven for a crisp texture and serves it with white polenta. We tell its story in ‘Po Delta eel: the dish, the place and the festival’. Book on WhatsApp at +39 0426 81006 or browse the menu.

Po Delta eel: the dish, the place and the festival

WhatsApp at +39 0426 81006

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Where to stay

Cyclists will find bike storage, e-bike charging and early breakfast at Albergo Italia in Porto Tolle. Groups can also choose Alloggi Centrale, Via G. Giolo 3, Porto Tolle: 6 rooms and 14 beds, with check-in at Albergo Italia (Via Matteotti 471) from 13:00 to 22:00. Our guide ‘Cycling in the Po Delta: where to stay in Porto Tolle’ brings together the area's cycling gateways.

Albergo Italia in Porto Tolle

Alloggi Centrale

Cycling in the Po Delta: where to stay in Porto Tolle

Explore the Po Delta

Sources

Regione Veneto, ‘Po – itinerari Biciparco’

MagicoVeneto, cycle tour of Ariano island

Municipality of Ariano nel Polesine and Museo di San Basilio. Updated on 9 November 2026.