Tourists have described an artificial lake in Italy as incredibly “scenic”. The mysterious lake has the bell tower from an abandoned town in the centre.
By ESTHER MARSHALL for Express – Water can hide all kinds of secrets. But while shipwrecks and sea creatures might be expected, a bell tower is more unusual.
But Lago di Resia in Italy’s South Tyrol region is famed for the bell tower that emerges from its depths. The artificial lake was created to unify two lakes.
The plan was created in 1940 and was designed to support a new hydroelectric plant. However, the two smaller lakes weren’t the only victims of the dam project.
Several villages fell inside the reservoir plans. Despite protests from local residents, the pretty villages of Curon, Arlung, Piz and Gorf were entirely flooded and submerged after the war in 1950.
Around 1,000 villagers were forced to leave the area while 163 houses and 120 farms were destroyed. Many families relocated to other villages in the South Tyrol or left the area entirely.
But while the majority of impacted homes were demolished with explosives, Curon’s bell tower was left standing. The 14th century steeple is still visible above the water.
During winter, the bell tower can be reached on foot if the water of Lago di Resia freezes. Legend says it’s still possible to hear the bells toll on a dark winter night.
However, the bells were removed from the tower in 1950 just weeks before the lake was created. The tower features in the Italian supernatural Netflix drama series “Curon”.
Nowadays, tourists can visit Lago di Resia to admire the striking views or take a nine mile stroll around the lake. It’s best attempted in the early morning.
A tourist wrote on Tripadvisor: “Mysteriously beautiful. I was so amazed at how scenic the lake is. You wouldn’t think it was an artificial lake. The surroundings will give you calm and serenity just by staring at the lake.”
Another tourist said: “Paradise. The most beautiful place I’ve visited. The water is emerald, the views include the famous bell tower and snowy mountains.”
