The Po Delta is one of the youngest lands in Italy. Its present face is the result of a Venetian undertaking: the Taglio di Porto Viro, completed in 1604, diverted the river to the south-east and set in motion the building of the so-called modern Delta.
From then on the Po drew new lands: the peninsula of the Goro and Gnocca branches from 1730, that of the Po di Tolle from 1810. Between them two lagoons remained, the sacche of Goro and Scardovari. Today the delta reaches about 25 kilometres out to sea, covers about 400 km² and opens into seven main branches.
That growth, however, has stopped. Since the mid-20th century, with less sand carried by the river and land that is sinking, in several stretches it is the sea that is taking space back.
