Lago di Ancipa, lake in Sicily
Lago di Ancipa, also known as Lago Sartori, is an artificial reservoir in the Nebrodi mountains formed by damming the Troina river valley. The water sits at about 950 meters above sea level and is surrounded by mixed forest and rolling hills, creating a large expanse of calm surface that mirrors the sky and surrounding landscape.
The lake was created between 1949 and 1953 with the construction of a concrete dam over 110 meters tall, one of the largest structures of its kind in Italy at that time. Since then, the reservoir has been vital to the region's water system, supplying drinking water and irrigation to several towns in central Sicily.
The lake takes its name from the Troina river that flows into it. The surrounding area is part of the Nebrodi Park, where local communities have lived among these mountains and forests for generations.
The lake is free to visit year-round and offers broad paths for walking around the water and to the dam. Visitors should bring appropriate clothing and be prepared for changing weather in the mountains, particularly at higher elevations where snow may fall in winter.
The dam structure consists of nine connected sections spanning about 253 meters in length, representing a major engineering achievement from the post-war period. The reservoir can hold nearly 28 million cubic meters of water, making it an impressive example of water management in the Sicilian mountains.
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