Varese Lake () is a
lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
of glacial origin in
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
, in the north of
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. It has an area of 14.5 km², a medium depth of 11 m, and a maximum depth of 23 m.
It hosted the Canoeing European Championships in 2012, the World Rowing Master Regatta in 2013, the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in 2014, the second Canoeing World Championship in 2015 and the World Rowing Under 23 / Under 19 Championships in 2022.
Formation
The birth of Lake Varese dates back to about 15,000 years ago, at the same time as that of nearby
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake and its shoreline are divided be ...
, when the retreat of the Verbano
glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
created the large basin in which the city and its lake are located today, which at the time had a much larger surface and included much of the surrounding lakes.
The Waters
The lake is currently (since 2015) not suitable for swimming.
Flora and Fauna
Flora
Lying between the basins of Lake Varese and
Lake Comabbio, the Palude Brabbia, covering 459 hectares, is a nature reserve that protects one of the best-preserved examples of lowland peat bog. The
swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
is an alternation of areas covered by dense aquatic vegetation, with large reeds,
willows
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions.
Most species are known ...
and alders, sometimes open water, the so-called clear, small bodies of water with a regular shape. Since 1994, the management of the reserve has been entrusted to Lipu.
Fauna
There are about 170 species of birds that frequent the area of Lake Varese. Among the most difficult to meet there are some species of ducks such as the
Tufted Duck
The tufted duck (or tufted pochard) (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of nearly one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. They are partially migratory. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek , an unide ...
and
Gadwall
The gadwall (''Mareca strepera'') is a common and widespread dabbling duck in the family Anatidae.
Taxonomy
The gadwall was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. DNA studies have shown th ...
or
herons
Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus '' Botaurus'' are referred to as ...
such as the
Bittern
Bitterns are birds belonging to the subfamily Botaurinae of the heron family Ardeidae. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive than other members of the family. They were called ''hæferblæte'' and various iterations of ''rared ...
and the
Purple Heron
The purple heron (''Ardea purpurea'') is a wide-ranging heron species. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Palearctic. The Western Palearctic populations migrate between breeding and wintering habitats whe ...
.
See also
*
Italian Lakes
The Italian Lakes (, lit. "great pre-alpine lakes") are a group of large lakes lying on the south side of the Alps, in the basin of the river Po and the Mediterranean Sea. As their name suggests, they are essentially located in northern Italy; ...
*
List of lakes of Italy
The following is a list of lakes of Italy. The lakes of Italy can be distinguished, depending on their location within the national territory, between Alpine foothills, pre-alpine, north-western, Apennine Mountains, Apennine, Sicily, Sicilian and ...
External links
Varese lake portal*
{{Authority control
Varese
Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559.
It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
Varese
Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559.
It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
Waterways of Italy
Province of Varese
LVarese
Glacial lakes of Italy