Isola della Scala
Isola della Scala is, without doubt, the rice capital of the Verona area
Updated 11 July 2026
The story
The story of Isola della Scala
History and origins
The name Isola comes from the shape of the territory in medieval times, surrounded by the Tartaro and Menago rivers so as to appear like an island on the plain. The epithet della Scala was added later, recalling the period when the town fell under the Scaliger lordship of Verona, which reinforced its strategic role along the waterways of the Bassa Veronese. In later centuries the territory developed an increasingly specialized agriculture, favored by an abundance of water that would later make possible, in the modern era, the great age of rice farming.
What to see
The historic center preserves an urban layout shaped by its agricultural and commercial role, with parish churches and several rural farmsteads typical of the Bassa Veronese. More than for individual monuments, Isola della Scala stands out for the landscape of its rice paddies, which flood in spring to create mirror-like sheets of water reflecting the sky, a natural spectacle tied to the rice-growing cycle.
Nature and surroundings
The territory is crossed by the spring-fed Tartaro and Menago rivers, which feed the rice paddies and shape a watery landscape typical of the Bassa Veronese, rich in birdlife and popular with birdwatchers. The flat, quiet country roads are ideal for cycling routes through the cultivated fields.
Food, wine and local products
The undisputed star is Nano Vialone Veronese IGP rice, recognized in 1996 as the first Italian rice to earn Protected Geographical Indication status. From this grain comes risotto all'isolana, the town's signature dish, made with pork and served in trattorias and local festivals throughout the year, as well as at the great autumn fair.
Events and traditions
The Fiera del Riso, held between September and October, is the event that puts the town on the national map: across tens of thousands of square meters, hundreds of Italian and European exhibitors present dozens of rice recipes, serving hundreds of thousands of dishes each year through gala dinners, entertainment and guided tours of the rice supply chain.
How to get there and location
Isola della Scala lies in the Bassa Veronese, about twenty kilometers south of Verona, along the route toward Legnago and the province of Mantua. It is served by a railway line and a good road network connecting it to the main centers of the plain.
Local life and economy
The local economy revolves largely around the rice supply chain, from cultivation to processing in the area's historic rice mills, alongside a diversified agriculture and an economy of scale linked to the great autumn fair, which draws visitors from across Italy and abroad.
Experiences not to miss
- Taste risotto all'isolana at a local trattoria
- Visit a historic rice mill and learn about Vialone Nano processing
- Attend the Fiera del Riso between September and October
- Admire the flooded rice paddies in spring
- Go birdwatching along the Tartaro and Menago rivers
- Cycle the country roads of the Bassa Veronese
To see
What to see in Isola della Scala
Jobs · JobFlow
