This 12th-Century Italian Village May Soon Resurface From the Bottom of a Lake

Photo: Giuliano Del Moretto/Shutterstock

Since its flooding, the village has resurfaced four times, in 1958, 1974, 1983, and 1994, when the reservoir has been drained for maintenance, and according to a statement Enel made on May 10, 2020, it may soon be visible again.

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, ! Il Paese Fantasma sommerso nel Lago di Vagli è uno dei luoghi più suggestivi e ricchi di fascino della Garfagnana, caratterizzato da una peculiarità: non può essere visitato! Solo in occasione dei lavori di manutenzione della diga, il lago viene svuotato facendo rivivere l’antico borgo medievale. Link in bio [Foto di Robyfra1] . . . #vaglidisotto #comunedivaglidisotto #garfagnana #lagodivagli #digadivagli #toscana #intoscana #fabbrichedicareggine #instatuscany #bellezzeitaliane #italy #paesesommerso #tuscanygram #borghitoscani #storiatoscana

A post shared by intoscana.it (@intoscana.it) on May 11, 2020 at 9:02am PDT

As part of an initiative to promote responsible tourism in the region through the enhancement of historical, natural, and cultural features of the area, Enel explains that “among the proposals considered within the initiative there are the opening of sites used for digital indoor museums, the creation of museum institutions in the area and local history, the redevelopment of the natural environment, including the cleaning of the Vagli reservoir through a series of activities that, through the possible emptying of the basin, provide for the implementation of maintenance activities on hydraulic works, environmental interventions with naturalistic engineering works and tourism enhancement projects.”

In 1994, without any publicity whatsoever, the phenomenon attracted around one million curious people, according to italian publication Corriere Fiorentino.

There is currently no date announced for the drainage of Lago di Vagli, but Visit Tuscany hinted that it will likely take place in 2021.