Italian Village Could Resurface After Being Submerged for Over 25 Years

A 12th century Italian town could see the light of day for the first time in over 25 years as the sunken city of Fabbriche di Careggine could resurface from the water.

Fabbriche di Careggine is in the Lucca province, Tuscany and was flooded in 1946 to build a hydroelectric dam. The dam was last emptied in 1994 and the city re-emerged from its sunken slumber.

Now, local politicians are calling for the dam to be emptied to reveal the submerged city. The effort could also help local economy and bring tourists to the area.

Local villages of the city were moved to nearby Vagli di Sotto. The structures of Fabbriche di Careggine which included a cemetery, church, bridge and homes, were not demolished but drowned in the dam water.

The dam has been emptied just a handful of times in 1958, 1974, 1983 and 1994, allowing tourists and locals to walk around the ruins.

"Reliable sources say that next year, in 2021, the lake of Vagli will be emptied," Lorenza Giorgi, daughter of former mayor of the local municipality Ilio Domenico Giorgi wrote on Facebook. "The last time it was emptied was in 1994 when my father was mayor and thanks to his efforts and to the numerous initiatives that with great efforts, was able to set up the entire town of Vagli and was able to welcome more than 1 million people.”

Italian energy company Enel, which manages the artificial lake and dam, told CNN in a statement that a working group is being formalized with the Municipality of Vagli di Sotto and Romei Srl to discuss tourism in the area.

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