Description

The reach of the river to the south of Palazzolo is very slow and meanders considerably, with the result that in some cases loops are cut off altogether from the river’s course. One of the best and as yet unspoilt examples of this phenomenon are the loops where the church of Madonna della Neve in Tatiano stands. These bends have been cut off from the main bed of the river for a number of centuries and had probably already been bypassed in Roman times. Madóne de Titïan, as the church is known in the local dialect, was built between the 13th and 15th century and is associated with the legendary exploits of the Teutonic Knights, the feudal lords of Precenicco from 1232 to 1636. It used to mark the beginning of the marsh lying beyond the brackish lagoon, but it was also the site of an ancient watchtower built there to control the river traffic.