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Lost village which inspired Netflix series ‘emerges’ from Italian lake

Lake Resia engulfed the ancient village of Curon in 1950

Joanna Taylor
Tuesday 18 May 2021 18:08 BST
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Lost village emerges from Italian lake

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The remnants of an Italian village that has spent decades submerged beneath a lake have finally been revealed amid repair works, according to locals.

Lake Resia, which engulfed the village of Curon in 1950, has been temporarily drained to allow maintenance work to be carried out on a reservoir.

Photos of exposed steps, cellars and walls which are usually hidden at the bottom of the lake in South Tyrol, near Italy’s border with Austria and Switzerland, have been shared to social media.

Luisa Azzolini, who took the photos, wrote: “The remains of the ancient village of Curon have resurfaced! A strange feeling to be walking on the rubble of the houses.”

Curon’s remnants beneath Lake Resia
Curon’s remnants beneath Lake Resia (EPA)

Ordinarily, all that can be seen to mark Curon’s location is a 14th century church spire emerging from the water. The bizarre scene is popular among tourists and inspired the supernatural Netflix drama Curon.

The village became submerged some 70 years ago when authorities flooded it to create a hydroelectric plant, in spite of objections from Curon’s hundreds of residents.

Some of the residents of the 160 flooded homes decided to remain in the area in a new village created nearby, but others were displaced.

The ancient village had remained underwater ever since, until its eroded foundation were finally revealed.

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