Curon Venosta bell tower remains above Lake Resia

The bell tower of the Santa Caterina d'Alessandria church remains as the sole visible remnant of the submerged village of Curon Venosta in the Italian Alps. Located in Lake Resia, South Tyrol, the medieval tower has become a major tourist attraction.

The submersion occurred in 1950 following hydroelectric projects developed between the 1930s and the post-war period. These projects merged the Resia and Curon basins into a single large reservoir, causing water levels to rise significantly. The flooding resulted in the demolition of over one hundred buildings and the loss of hundreds of hectares of farmland, forcing local residents to relocate to the reconstructed Curon Venosta.

While local legend suggests the bells can still be heard ringing from beneath the water on winter nights, the bells were actually removed prior to the flooding.