Hi and welcome to this edition of Earth from Space
coming to you from Milan at the Living Planet Symposium
the largest Earth observation conference in the world
Today our image from Copernicus Sentinel-2
features the Po Valley
where Milan is located
This is the most densely populated area in Italy
accounting for nearly half of the national population
This composite image
contains several images
captured between June 2018 and February 2019
allowing us to see the area free from clouds and smog
The Po River, the longest river in Italy
flows over 650 km from west to east across the country
and ends at a delta projecting into the Adriatic Sea near Venice
The river flows through some of Italy’s important cities of the north
On the very left, next to the River
the city of Turin can be seen
A business and cultural centre
Turin is the capital of the Piedmont region
Rich in history
the city is home of the Shroud of Turin
a famous religious relic
as well as the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy
Turning to modern day
several International Space Station modules
such as Harmony and Columbus were manufactured in Turin
Moving east
the city of Milan can be seen nestling below the Alps
Although Milan is the second most populous city in Italy after Rome
the wider metropolitan area
extends over Lombardy and eastern Piedmont
making it the largest metropolitan area in Italy
Further east
the blue body of Lake Garda can be seen to the left of Verona
With an area of 370 sq km
Garda is the largest lake in Italy
and the third largest in the Alpine region
East of the lake is the Adige River
flowing south before curving east toward Verona
The city of Verona has been awarded World Heritage Site status
by UNESCO because of its urban structure and architecture
such as the circular Roman amphitheatre
Along the coast
the turquoise colours of the Venetian lagoon
and the islands that make up the city of Venice are visible
Famous for its musical and artistic cultural heritage
millions of tourists flock to the archipelago every year
As the Po River nears the Adriatic Sea
its agricultural landscape dominated by fields can be seen
Agriculture is one of the main industries in the Po Basin
because of the fertile soils
Cereals, including rice
and a variety of vegetables are commonly grown in this area
The main arms of the river push the delta into the sea
An important ecosystem
the area has been a regional park since 1988
and a biosphere reserve since 2015
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission
Each satellite carries a high-resolution camera
that images Earth’s surface in 13 spectral bands
Data from Copernicus Sentinel-2
can help monitor changes in land cover
And this brings us to the end of this edition
from the Living Planet Symposium in Milan
I’m Mariangela D’Acunto
Thanks for watching and see you next week.