A land registry code, A059, which has always identified the city of Adria, located in the heart of the Po Delta. Today that code has become the symbol and slogan of a civic, legal, and human mobilization: “A059 – I WANT TO BE BORN IN ADRIA”It is the voice of a community that refuses to surrender to the progressive stripping of essential services in the local area and that is loudly demanding the protection of the right to health, safety, and dignity for expectant mothers and their children.
The extraordinary appeal: women lead the change
On October 1, 2026, an extraordinary appeal was formally filed with the President of the Council of State against the decision of the Veneto Region and the ULSS 5 Polesana to close and convert the maternity ward at Adria Hospital. This legal action was not initiated by technical committees or political parties. 12 moms (many of whom are expecting to give birth in the next few months) and a future fatherResidents between Adria and the Po Delta basin. A powerful example of citizen participation that also pushed local institutions to act: the mothers' energy led the Mayor of Adria to submit, on the last possible day, his own extraordinary appeal to the President of the Republic.
The legal action is sponsored by the lawyer Laura Venittelli, president of the Association House of Rights, known for having successfully fought similar battles in Molise (avoiding the closure of the Isernia and Termoli departments thanks to the intervention of the administrative justice system). Alongside her, the contribution of the lawyer Giulia Azzano Cantarutti, a new mother who has made her expertise and personal testimony available for this cause.
Security and Infrastructure Isolation: The Risks for the Po Delta
The decision to close the Adria facility highlights the difficulties faced by inland and marginal areas. The Polesine and Po Delta regions have a complex and fragile road network: closing the facility would force pregnant women to travel up to an hour and a half by car to reach the birth centers in Rovigo, Chioggia, or Padua.
In situations of obstetric emergency, advanced labor, or rushed births, such long travel times pose a real risk to the safety of the mother and the unborn child.
I Want to Be Born in Adria – An Appeal to the Entire Community
The appeal requests, in addition to the annulment of the regional provisions, the emergency precautionary suspension of the closure decisions. The battle, however, continues outside the courtroom. Promoters and citizens extend an open invitation to unions, associations, and institutions to support the initiative through:
Spreading the message and the hashtag #A059IWantToBeBornInAdria.
The submission of briefs and interventions ad adiuvandum in the appeal.
The activation of political initiatives aimed at revoking the closure.
Defending the Adria maternity ward means protecting the future of an area rich in history and culture, ensuring Polesine families enjoy equal dignity and rights compared to large urban centers.
