Isola Boschina is the oldest known island of the river Po—the longest river in Italy. When the island emerged in the 17th century, it became property of the bishop of Mantua. The island is big enough and in a good position to be one of the few stable river islands.
The bishop gave the usage rights to a local noble family who eventually took the whole property. The island was kept in use for agricultural purposes until World War II. After the end of the war, the island was used for growing poplar trees. The natural forested areas on the island were diminished to allow more room for cultivating new trees. Only in the 1980s did the island become a protected area.
Nowadays the island hosts a stable population of roe deer, foxes, and badgers; and birds such as brown kites, blackbirds, night herons, and woodpeckers. The island hosts even fossils that periodically resurface from the sandy ground.
On the highest point of the island stand some buildings from the late 19th century, including a house, a colonnade, and a small building with an oven, a rabbit house, and a chicken coop.
