Erbé Between Wetlands and History

Erbé brings together a wetland landscape, a long history of settlement and local festival traditions. The Palude di Pellegrina, the Tartaro and Parco Due Tioni represent different connections to water; Castion reveals the prehistoric past, while the church and festivals show other sides of the town. The landscape, archaeology and community life each offer a distinct way to experience Erbé’s character.

Wetland, Rivers and Protected Habitat

The Palude di Pellegrina is a 111-hectare wetland in the Natura 2000 network. It extends across the areas of Erbé, Isola della Scala, Nogara and Sorgà. The Tartaro flows through Erbé and touches the Palude della Pellegrina. Another connection to the rivers shapes Parco Due Tioni: two branches of the Tione bound the park. Together, these form distinct landscape features—from the extensive wetland and the Tartaro to the two river branches along the park.

As of 2025, access to the part of the Palude managed by Cooperativa Cà Magre is restricted to protect nesting birds. If you include the wetland in your travel plans, this specific visitor restriction is worth bearing in mind. It applies to the managed part; the Tartaro, which flows through Erbé, and Parco Due Tioni, bounded by the Tione branches, remain important landscape features in their own right.

From Castion to Medieval History

The town’s history stretches from early settlements to medieval events. Erbé was permanently inhabited by the Lombards, who established a small administrative unit there, a vicus. In 823, King Berengario I transferred the lands of Erbé to the Benedictine Abbey of San Zeno. Around the year 1000, a castle was built for defense during border disputes with Mantua. Settlement, land transfer and fortification mark different aspects of this history.

The prehistoric traces also belong to different places and periods. Traces of Bronze Age pile-dwelling settlements were discovered in Tremolina in the 19th century. Castion di Erbè was a settlement on a rise on the right bank of the Tartaro, covering about four hectares. Archaeological finds from Castion attest to the Iron Age, from the 8th to the middle of the 6th century BC. Of the two prehistoric settlements, Castion was the more significant. The settlement was associated with the culture of the ancient Veneti and compared with settlements in Este. These differences in time and place help keep the finds from being collapsed into a single story.

Church, Culture and Local Traditions

The Chiesetta di Erbedello is officially called Chiesa di Santa Maria Novella and is a small Romanesque church. MUMU, short for Mulino Multimediale, is located in the Mulino Novo in Erbé. The Biblioteca Comunale lends books through the Sistema Bibliotecario Provinciale di Verona. The church, MUMU and the library thus represent distinct cultural points of reference: a Romanesque building, a named venue in the Mulino Novo and the municipal book-lending service.

Local festival traditions include the Festa del Melone and the Sagra de l’anara. The Festa del Melone is a traditional melon festival, established to promote the seasonal fruit. It features food stalls offering various local products, including the well-known risotto al melone. The Sagra de l’anara is a traditional event organized by Pro Loco Erbè and also an old celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary. While the Festa del Melone focuses on the seasonal fruit and food, the Sagra de l’anara is rooted in a Marian festival tradition. Pro Loco Erbè promotes culture, traditions and tourism in its area through cultural and folkloric events as well as tourism initiatives.

Discover more destinations: Ferrara Di Monte Baldo, Badia Calavena, Beccacivetta-Azzano, San Pietro In Cariano, Castion Veronese, Fornello, Lazise, Marano Di Valpolicella.

For the broader travel overview: Verona.