Lake Pistono (), also known as ''Lake Montalto'' (), 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 ...

located in

Montalto Dora Montalto Dora is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin. Main sights * Montalto Dora Castle, known from the mid-12th century but rebuilt in the 18th-20th cent ...

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

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 ...

Description

The lake has a water surface area of 0.12 km², a basin area of 2.8 km², and is located at an altitude of 280 meters above sea level. It is part of a group of five lakes of glacial origin, which also include

Lake Sirio Lake Sirio () is a lake in northern Italy. Description Located between the comunes of Ivrea and Chiaverano, it is the largest of a group of five lakes of glacial origin known as ''Laghi di Ivrea'' which also includes Lake Pistono, Lake Nero, ...

, Lake Nero, Lake Campagna, and Lake San Michele. It is fed by the Rio Montesino stream, which collects water descending from Punta Montesino, while at the western end, there is an artificial canal that once supplied a mill. The outflow of water is regulated by a small dam. The entire lake is surrounded by a trail. On the northern side, at the top of Mount Crovero, stands the imposing

Montalto Dora Castle Montalto Dora Castle () is a castle located in Montalto Dora, Piedmont, Italy. History The castle dates back to between the 10th and 11th centuries. Initially, it consisted of a tower, a connecting wall, and a chapel dedicated to Saints Efisio ...

, which is reflected in the waters of the lake below.

Archaeological park

Thanks to an archaeological excavation campaign conducted by the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape of Turin, traces of a lakeside village dating back to the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

were uncovered on the shores of the lake in June 2003. In 2005, a cultural and tourist project was launched, culminating in 2012 with the inauguration of an exhibition space showcasing the artifacts discovered during the excavations. This was followed, in 2017, by the opening of an archaeological park on the lakeshore, where Neolithic structures have been reconstructed at full scale.

Nature protection

The lake is part of the

Site of Community Importance A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at ...

known as ''Laghi di Ivrea'' (code IT1110021), established under Directive 92/43/EEC (

Habitats Directive The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a directive adopted by the European Community in 1992 as a response to the Berne Convention. The ...

) and designated as a

Special Area of Conservation A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...

Description

Archaeological park

Nature protection

Gallery

References

External links