The tranquil surface of ‘the most beautiful lake in Italy’, the Lago di Molveno in Trentino-Alto Adige, changes from deep green to soft blue as clouds mass over Brenta Dolomite peaks, the dense forests clothing their slopes and evergreen trees growing along the waterfront. The lake was described in 1890 by Italian poet and novelist Antonio Fogazzaro as “the precious pearl in an even more precious casket”. The alpine waters, up to 124 m (406 ft) deep, hide a petrified forest first submerged about 3,000 years ago, during the early Iron Age.
Lake Molveno, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: the calm surface of ‘the most beautiful lake in Italy’ changes from deep green to soft blue as clouds mass over the summits of Brenta Dolomite peaks, the dense forests clothing their slopes and evergreen trees growing along the waterfront. The Lago di Molveno, described in 1890 by Italian poet and novelist Antonio Fogazzaro as “the precious pearl in an even more precious casket”, is fed by numerous alpine streams and rivers and is up to 124 m (406 ft) deep, with an average depth of 47 m (154 ft). In 1952, when it was drained for power plant construction work, a petrified forest was discovered on the lake bed. Radiocarbon dating by Pisa University established that the trees were first submerged about 3,000 years ago, in the early Iron Age. The lake is about km ( miles) long and km (.9 m) wide and lies in a natural basin within the Adamello Brenta Nature Park between peaks of the Brenta Group to the west such as Campanile Basso and Cima Tosa, and the summits of the Paganella and Monte Gazza massif to the south east. Both mountain chains are reflected in its surface on calm days without the Ora del Garda, the prevalent wind from March to October. In 2019, for the sixth year running, the Lago di Molveno was chosen by the Touring Club Italiano and the environmental association Legambiente as the most beautiful lake in Italy. The award was based not only on its natural beauty and surroundings, but on the cleanliness of its water, its beaches and the quality of leisure facilities around its shores, including those in the main lakeside settlement, the small town of Molveno.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Lake Molveno, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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