At 652 km long, the Po is Italy's longest river and one of the country's most important waterways. It rises in the Cottian Alps on Monte Viso (Piedmont) at an altitude of approximately 2,022 m, near the French-Italian border, and flows into the Adriatic Sea in a vast delta of approximately 380 km² near Adria (Veneto). Its catchment area covers approximately 75,000 km² and extends across the regions of Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, as well as parts of Tuscany, the Aosta Valley, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Switzerland (Ticino).
The Po flows through the fertile Po Valley (Pianura Padana), Italy's most important agricultural and industrial region, and shapes cities such as Turin, Piacenza, Cremona, and Ferrara. It has 141 tributaries, including important ones such as the Ticino, Adda, Oglio, and Tanaro. The Po Delta, with its five main branches (Po di Maestra, Po della Pila, Po delle Tolle, Po di Gnocca, and Po di Goro), is an ecologically valuable area and is home to the Po Delta Regional Park, a paradise for birdwatchers and nature lovers.

Historically, since Roman times (then known as Padus), the Po was a central trade and transport route connecting northern Italy. It divided the region of Cisalpine Gallia into the Cispadana (south of the Po) and the Transpadana (north of the Po). The river is commercially navigable as far as Cremona (approximately 292 km), and for smaller boats up to approximately 389 km. Its water supply feeds agriculture (e.g., rice and grain cultivation) and hydroelectric power plants, but the Po River suffers from droughts that drastically lower water levels, as in 2022–2023, affecting agriculture and shipping.
The Po Delta offers boat trips, birdwatching, and hiking, while the riverside regions offer cultural treasures such as the violin-making city of Cremona and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ferrara. The Po is not just a river, but a symbol of Italy's history, economy, and nature.