For the town of Bellaria , too, the harbor has always been the ideal place for living and finding peace. Historically, on the left side of the mouth of the Uso River, a cluster of houses had been spreading since the late 19th century—likely huts inhabited by fishermen who moored their boats in the river, which served temporarily as a harbor. These small vessels were sailboats and rowboats and were used for inshore fishing—that is, fishing close to the coast. The seabed was too shallow—and very dangerous in rough seas—which meant it was not always possible to head out to sea or return to port, creating a source of constant grievance for Bellaria’s fishing community.

During the fall season, fishermen would move into wooden and thatched huts near the Po Delta to fish for eels, and they would spend several months there. A very common practice among both young and old, especially during the warmer months, was the “tratta”—a net cast from a boat and then hauled in by hand from the shore. The fish caught in this way were taken by fishmongers on bicycles to the villages and scattered homes in the hinterland and were often traded for agricultural products. This thriving fishing industry in Bellaria continues to this day, even though the current port—equipped with more modern facilities—does not allow large vessels to dock, unlike the nearby ports of Rimini or Cesenatico.

The port of Bellaria, located at the mouth of the Uso River, has an entrance protected by two breakwaters and is approximately 30 meters wide. It is practically impossible to enter when the sea is rough; the port is prone to silting, so it is dredged periodically during the winter. It is important to be mindful of the constant high and low tides and the cliffs running parallel to the coast throughout the town of Igea Marina. Its small size inevitably limits the number of berths available, which never exceed 35–40, of which 5–6 are reserved for transiting vessels; in any case, these are for boats no longer than 12 m.

The banks of this canal port feature docks with water depths of up to 3.50 m, and at peak times it can accommodate as many as 500 people who are temporarily residing there, either directly or indirectly. Visitors will certainly take advantage of the general services that the entire tourist town has to offer; at the same time, the port must be able to accommodate visitors with a range of dedicated services located within the port area and forming an integral part of it. The project calls for the creation of these services with specific, dedicated functions: ranging from storage and maintenance to personal services, including commercial establishments addressing the boating community. The buildings housing these services are distributed across the available areas in a sequence running perpendicular to the water’s surface, while respecting the existing built environment. The layout is inspired by the configuration of the Colonia Roma complex and park, as well as the course of the existing river channel.