Osiglia
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk about the beautiful Lake Osiglia, located in the municipality of Osiglia in the Bormida Valley.
Geography
The lake is 3 km long and has a capacity of 13 million cubic meters of water, making it the largest in the province of Savona. Along the right side of the lake is a road that runs alongside it, and about halfway down its length is the Manfrin Bridge which allows for access to a small inhabited village. The lake is also a protected natural area of provincial interest and is protected by the Site of Community Interest called "Lake Osiglia (protected area)."
History
The project to develop the mountain basin, which involved the construction of a series of dams and a hydroelectric power plant, was conceived in 1926 by Engineer Quaglia. However, due to studies on the rocky substrates that showed the inadequacy of the terrain and the vicissitudes related to the beginning of the Second World War, all the other works were never completed. The Osiglia dam, built between 1937 and 1939, was the only one that was built, with a 224 m front and a 70.7 m dam height. The basin was built to regulate the flow of water to the plants of the Falck steel mills and foundries located on the Bormida downstream of the dam, as well as to provide a constant flow of water during low-water summer periods. The company that built the plant was Torno e C. from Milan, and following the construction of the dam, about three hundred people were displaced and three villages with houses, shops and a church were submerged.
Tourist attractions
The ruins of the villages of Cavallotti, Giacchini, and Bertolotti emerge every ten or fifteen years when the lake is completely drained for maintenance reasons, becoming a tourist attraction. The last time this happened was in December 2020 when the town was filled with tourists who were able to admire these ruins emerging from the water.
Dam data
The dam is a double-curved vault and completely spillable. It is made of concrete with a pulvin at the base and a double-mesh reinforcement. The crown height is 640.20 m above sea level, the maximum reservoir level is 637 m above sea level, and the height at the foundation level is 76.8 m. The crown development is 224 m, the concrete volume is 75,000 m³, and the reservoir capacity is 13 million m³.
Conclusions
Lake Osiglia is a wonder of nature and human technology that is worth visiting at least once in a lifetime. There are many activities to do, including hiking, fishing, rowing, and much more. Additionally, the opportunity to admire the ruins of the villages emerging from the water is a unique experience that I recommend everyone to try. I hope I have made you want to visit this splendid lake!
