Established in January 2017 by the unification of Mirabello and Sant'Agostino, the new municipality is situated on the ancient course of the Reno River.
Countess Matilde di Canossa and the Monks of Nonantola in the 11th and 12th centuries extended their administrative authority through a “participation” system in the territories between Cento and Ferrara, stimulating a first land reclamation activity. After the Middle Ages, waters returned to the area until the Reno River was channelled: then the first roads started to be built and peasants began to populate the area to work the lands belonging of the aristocracy. Even today, the main artery of Mirabello follows the ancient riverbed of the Reno and the lands of the Prosperi correspond almost exactly with the old city centre.
At the edge of Mirabello, you can see the entrance to the Boscona Nature Reserve, created in the old riverbed of the Reno River and testimony of the ancient, typically rural, landscape of the Alto Ferrarese. A wide range of wildlife finds refuge in this area of countryside: hares, pheasants, wild ducks, grey herons, birds of prey and passerines can be seen throughout the year. Inside the park, you can go horse riding, take riding lessons or enjoy a picnic.
Sant'Agostino, located next to the bank of the river Reno and once subject to flooding due to the river overflowing, is now one of the most prosperous centres in the entire province. The Panfilia Woods extend into a bend in the floodplain, a classic example of a lowland hygrophilous wood that features the typical vegetation found in floodplain woods. Here you can find rare species of mushrooms and the very valuable and much sought-after white truffle.
