KEY POINTS

  • The underwater Italian village of Curon has resurfaced for the first time in over 70 years
  • This came after repairs forced a team to temporarily drain the lake
  • The village was home to hundreds before it was flooded to create a hydroelectric plant in 1950

Like a real-life Atlantis, a lost village in Italy has emerged from underwater after more than 70 years.

The lost Italian village of Curon was found at the bottom of Lake Resia, an artificial lake that spans 2.5 square miles and lies in South Tyrol, which borders Austria and Switzerland. The village was flooded back in 1950 to create a hydroelectric plant and merge two nearby lakes, BBC News reported.

After Lake Resia was temporarily drained for maintenance, people have been able to explore as well as photograph the final traces of the village that was once home to almost a thousand inhabitants.

"It was strange for me to walk among the rubble of houses, I felt curiosity and sadness," said local resident Luisa Azzolini of her experience seeing the lost village.

Piles of bricks and rubble are scattered all around the area, but what catches the eye of anyone who decides to visit the site is a 14th-century church steeple, part of which has remained visible above water over the years. Steps, walls and cellars also have been found at the bottom of the lake.

Despite the resurfacing of the eerie village, only a few were able to see it due to the strict coronavirus restrictions imposed in the region, Reuters reported.

But photos of the real-life Atlantis have since been posted on social media, showing walls, cellars and steps still intact despite being submerged for over seven decades.

As maintenance continues to be done on Lake Resia, locals are free to roam the area before the lake is filled with water again, and the little village of Curon once again returns to its underwater world.

Many of the residents in Curon opposed the creation of the dam, according to the BBC. Due to the government's plan to merge the two lakes, the inhabitants were forced to abandon their homes. More than 160 houses were submerged, and the population of Curon was displaced, with some settling in areas nearby.

Today, Lake Resia is a popular site for hikers and visitors. During the winter season, people are able to walk across the frozen lake that surrounds the bell tower to reach the spire.

The story of the submerged village also influenced the creation of a Netflix show called "Curon."

Curon's old city bell tower as it was before being submerged in the lake Resia in Italy
An aerial picture taken on July 09, 2020 in the museum of the new city of Curon Venosta (Graun im Vinschgau), some 100 km northwest from Bolzano, Northern Italy, shows a photograph of Curon's old city bell tower as it was before being submerged in the lake Resia. - The old church and village were submerged in 1950 in an artificial lake created to power a hydroelectric plant. Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images
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