Lost Italian village submerged in lake resurfaces after seven decades

Village was flooded to make way for hydroelectric plant in 1950

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  The church bell tower emerging from Lake Resia in northern Italy. EPA

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  The village of Curon once had some 900 inhabitants living in 160 homes, but it was flooded in 1950 to create a hydroelectric plant. EPA

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  An aerial picture shows Curon's old city bell tower as it was before being submerged. AFP

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  A picture taken in July 2020 shows the bell tower of Curon's old city church submerged in the lake. AFP

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  The remains of a tiny village are revealed for the first time since 1950. Reuters

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  The lake is being drained to carry out repair works on the hydroelectric plant. Reuters

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  Uncovered were piles of bricks and rubble and some steps - all that is left of the old Curon village. Reuters

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  The church bell tower stands in the lake. Reuters

A northern Italian village submerged in a man-made lake for more than seven decades has resurfaced.

Curon, on Lake Resia in the South Tyrol region, was once home to 900 people, but it was flooded in 1950 to make way for a hydroelectric plant.

The eerie image of the church's bell tower rising from the middle of the lake became so famous it inspired a book and  Netflix horror series.

But the 'lost' town has emerged again as the plant has had to undergo repairs.

Workers began draining the lake a few months ago and, in April, after a layer of ice melted, the area was completely dry.

Piles of bricks, rubble and stairs are all that is left of the old village of Curon.

"It was strange for me to walk among the rubble of the houses. I felt curiosity and sadness," said local resident Lucia Azzolini.

Hotels in the province had been closed for months due to coronavirus restrictions, so few people noticed Curon's re-emergence until visitors began to return to the area as Italy eased its lockdown restrictions.

But the village won't be there for long. A power company started to release water back into the lake a week ago and, in a couple of weeks, it will be full, pulling Curon back under the water once more.