BIBIONE - PORTOGRUARO

Mappa del percorso n. 1
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The itinerary from Bibione to Portogruaro goes through areas that recently underwent some land reclamation works, even if a few place names do remind the remote presence of man in an area where roads and waterways crossed.

Start: BIBIONE
Bevazzana water scooping plant(E=13:00:39,000; N=45:40:06,168)
Leaving Bibione downtown, take Corso del Sole then via Pineda and via Bevazzana; turn left onto Via Litoranea until you cross via Quarto Bacino. On the left you can see Bevazzana water scooping plant (4th basin). Dating from 1926; its circulation is 7,100 litres/second.

Valle Grande and Vallesina 
The path heading to Bevazzana and Baseleghe water scooping plants passes near Valle Grande and Vallesina, 615 ha. pristine nature, a very charming place to visit, which is stands out for its environmental relevance.

Baseleghe water scooping plant (E=12:58:57,092; N=45:39:23,909)
Starting from via Bevazzana, take via Litoranea until you reach Baseleghe canal. Turn left and stay on up to the homonymous water scooping plant. Dating from 1930, the 3rd basin links the cultivated land with the lagoon. It is named after the homonymous harbour situated seaward between Vallevecchia and Bibione; its circulation is 4,250 litres/second.

Prati Nuovi water scooping plant (E=12:57:58,521; N=45:40:15,325)
Continue going northward; take via Terzo Bacino, via Pradis and if you want to see Prati Nuovi water scooping plant(7th basin), turn left to head seaward on the homonymous avenue. Prati Nuovi water scooping plant was built in 1935 and its circulation is 2,820 litres/second. 

Pradis water scooping plant(E=12:58:34,417; N=45:42:54,607)
Retrace your path to via Pradis: you arrive at the homonymous water scooping plant. Dating from the land reclamation works carried out in the first half of the 20th century, the 5th basin was built in 1943; its circulation is 1,800 litres/second. 

San Giorgio water scooping plant(E=12:58:50,229; N=45:43:28,334)
Again onto via Pradis, stay straight then turn left and cross a canal: at this point you are near San Giorgio water scooping plant (1st basin). As proven by its structure, it was built during land reclamation works accomplished in 1930. It is completely automated; its circulation is 4,400 litres/second.

Lugugnana 
Stay onto via Pradis until via Musili merges onto via Marango. Take the latter and then via Fausta: you will enter the old town centre of Lugugnana. This small town in the Middle Ages was very influential; in its territory there were old churches consecrated to Saint Leonard and Saint Bartholomew. Later on, marshes forced people and their crops to move out. The recent land reclamation works allowed peopling the area again; these days Lugugnana is a parish. Its church houses some valuable pieces of modern art and a 16th-century frontlet. 

Villa water scooping plant (E=12:56:55,133; N=45:41:11,177)
Leaving Lugugnana, take via Marina, go through Marina, the small village on your path, follow via Brussa. Then you hit Castello di Brussa and along the avenue you can call at Villa water scooping plant. In 1925 ing. De Götzen supervised the works to build Villa's basin (spreading over 3,253 ha) in Caorle as well as the homonymous water scooping plant; its circulation is 14,000 litres/second.

Valle Vecchia water scooping plant (E=12:57:04,551; N=45:38:18,821)
Stay straight onto via Brussa until you reach Cavanella canal and Valle Vecchia: on the left you find its water scooping plant. Built in 1964, it was engineered by Ing. Mortillaro in order to drain Valle Vecchia-Dossetto basin (whose surface is 673 ha.); its circulation is 3,100 litres/second. 

Valle Vecchia 
Valle Vecchia merits a visit not only for its nature but also for its Casoni. 

Brussa water scooping plant(E=12:57:58,521; N=45:40:15,325)
Retracing your path from Valle Vecchia, before arriving at Brussa, on the left you can see a few farms and Brussa water scooping plant. Brussa basin has a surface of 1,150 ha; the area was reclaimed in 1932, the year in which the first plant was built. Later on, it was adjusted and developed; these days, its circulation is 3,500 litres/second.

Brussa 
Back again onto via Brussa, you hit Brussa, a small but remarkable village. 
This small village is composed by the facilities of a factory and a church, which was built in 1939 and was consecrated to Saint Anthony the Great. In 1961 they consecrated the church as well as the parish to Saint Bartholomew, in remembrance of an old parish church or of a nunnery situated nearby, whose traces have disappeared.
 
Ramiscello water scooping plant (E=12:54:48,290; N=45:39:29,833)
From Brussa retrace your path to the avenue heading to Castello Brussa, turn left onto the first street leading to Ramiscello water scooping plant. This is the plant of Ramiscello - Rottole basin, which spreads over 127 ha. The first round of land reclamation works dates from 1932; the following plan to modify the basin was engineered by Ing. Diego Mortillaro in 1954. The water scooping plant has a circulation of 1,800 litres/second.

Historical cippus
Leaving Ramiscello water scooping plant to go back to via Brussa or to retrace the avenues flanking Valle Perera, Count Marcello's estate, you reach Villaviera, a remarkable archaeological and historical site as shown by some old maps and an historical cippus nearby, which you hit along the road from Villaviera to Serrai. 

Torresella, Villanova S. Margherita
If you leave the historical cippus and head northward, you find a few centres connected to pioneer initiatives of land reclamation or industrialisation carried out by Stucky and Marzotto families: they are Torresella, Villanova S. Margherita, Vado, and Villanova.

Borgo di Villanova
Not far from Villanova S. Margherita you find Villanova S.Antonio, where there is a century-old oak tree.

PORTOGRUARO 
Your route ends in Portogruaro. It is the biggest town situated between Livenza and Tagliamento rivers and it is also known as "the town where Lemene River flows". Its origins date from the 12th century; the old part of this town with its covered walk and the precious buildings stresses its influential role in Venetian economy and politics. Today it has a paramount importance in culture and art, above all due to its outstanding music tradition.