Bondeno is a municipality in Ferrara located on the banks of the Panaro river.
The town, the oldest settlement in the Ferrarese territory, was in the Middle Ages a free municipality, then a feud of the Canossa family, which built numerous buildings there; the only one remaining is the bell tower of the Church of the Nativity of Mary.
As a border town, it was originally fortified, and numerous castles stood in its territory, such as the Rocca di Stellata, still visible today on the banks of the river.
Archaeological findings date from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman periods. In the Middle Ages it was a fief of Matilda of Canossa, then became part of the Estensi's possessions as a fortified center defending Ferrara.
Bondeno's name seems to go back to an ancient name for the Po River(Bondicus- bottomless) and its history has been determined and conditioned by the hydrography of the territory, as evidenced by the hydraulic artifacts and other watercourses that flow through the municipality, including the Burana Canal, the Panaro River, and the Cavo Napoleonico.
Nestled on the right bank of the Po River is the village of Stellata, where the buildings of the parish church, with a fine wooden crucifix from the 1300s, and the Casa Ariosto, which belonged to the son of the great poet and is home to the "G. Ferraresi" Archaeological Museum documenting the rich history of the Bondenese territory, stand out.
The most prestigious building is the Rocca Possente, a fortress built in its present form in the late 17th century and once conceived in the shape of a star. The fortress was placed to guard the Ferrarese hinterland at the northern end of the Este territory, together with its "twin" Rocca di Ficarolo, located on the opposite bank and wiped out by a flood in 1670. (The Rocca is open only during cultural events).
Situated on the "Road of wines and flavors," it is appreciated by gourmets as well as bicycle lovers for the "Destra Po" cycling route that runs through it. A 120-kilometer-long bicycle path, suitable for everyone because of its characteristic flat pace.
A few kilometers from Bondeno, at Settepolesini, is the"Zarda" Nature Oasis, an important center as it is home to a mammoth bone deposit.
Bundan Celtic Festival - July
One of the largest and most important Celtic festivals in Italy. Historical reenactment, workshop and experimental activities, music, crafts, food and beer.