Exploring Water Heritage Systems in the Ticino River Basin
On April 17, 2026, researchers, ecologists, and hydrologists from the Politecnico di Milano met with officials from the Parco Regionale della Valle del Ticino (Ticino River Regional Park) and local farmers. The field visit – held in the areas of the Municipalities of Cassolnovo, Vigevano, Ozzero, and Abbiategrasso, in the Provinces of Pavia and Milan – aimed to better understand how local water heritage systems function and to jointly define the pilot areas for the project’s testing phase. The objective was not only to gain insight into ancient irrigation practices, but also to collaboratively identify the pilot areas for the next phase of the project.
Park officials and farmers, known as “campari” (water men), guided the researchers from the Politecnico di Milano in exploring not only a tangible landscape heritage, but also a system of knowledge and long-standing rules for water management in this historic territory, across different seasons of the year. During the visit, Michele Bove, Head of the Agriculture Department of the Ticino River Regional Park, repeatedly emphasized the importance of winter water circulation in canals and its use for the flooding of marcite (permanent grasslands) to recharge groundwater, as well as the importance of reviving the traditional technique of flooded rice cultivation in spring. Allowing water to circulate in canals and flood meadows and rice fields – even in winter – is not a waste, but rather a way to store water underground and make it available during the drier summer months. “Use water to save it!” is the motto in the Ticino Park.
The area visited has recently been involved in the implementation of the project “Restoration of irrigation artefacts: water, knowledge, and landscape care”, carried out by our associated partner, the Parco Regionale della Valle del Ticino (Italy), in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano. The project has recently been recognized in the Italian National Landscape Award 2026.
