According to legend, the name of Rovigo comes from Rhodon, a name of roses that spontaneously bloomed here in ancient times. Even Ludovico Ariosto defined Rovigo as "the land that produced roses / or pleasant day in greek". Moreover, it is believed that the Greeks colonized the Polesine and that Diomedes, the companion of Odysseus in the Trojan War, and his brave companions, were the first to set foot in Adria, which was on the sea in ancient times.

Just before 1000 AD, the Bishop Paolo Cattaneo decided to move the bishopric from Adria to Rovigo. While deciding on where to bring his people who were victims of furious incursions by the Hungarians, the bishop dreamed that Saint Peter gave him a beautiful pastoral filled with red roses. Cattaneo transferred his people to Rovigo and built a huge castle for defence against the Barbarians. Today, the only trace of the castle is the Donà Tower, which can still be seen in the town today.

The city of Roses is also filled with ghosts. The face of a nun can be seen in a window of a basement door of a beautiful building in one of the streets of the city center. It is said that this nun was left to die in a small room where she was locked up. There is also a legend about a bet. Many years ago a man decided to spend a night in the cemetery. However, he was found dead in the morning and there was an illegible inscription on the gravel beside him. It is said that this inscription is a desperate attempt to communicate a horrible secret .