Laghi di Lavagnina, body of water

The Laghi di Lavagnina are two artificial lakes in the municipalities of Casaleggio Boiro, Mornese and Bosio, in the Province of Alessandria, Piedmont. The upper lake is called Lago Superiore and the lower one Lago Inferiore; both are fed and drained by the Torrente Gorzente. They lie within the Capanne di Marcarolo natural park.

Gold was mined at Lavagnina, now submerged, and in 1852 a metallurgical plant for preparing ingots was built there; the mines passed to the Société Anonyme des Mines d'or du Gorzente of Lyon and the last one closed in 1913. The upper dam, begun as some mines ran out, was finished in 1887; the lower dam was built between 1911 and 1917. In dry periods the Lavagnina farmhouse and the 1850 metallurgical plant reappear.

The lakes lie within the Capanne di Marcarolo natural park, and the Torrente Gorzente feeds and drains both basins. In dry periods the water drops enough to reveal Cascina Lavagnina and the metallurgical works built there in 1850, before the upper reservoir submerged the site.

The lakes lie in the municipalities of Casaleggio Boiro, Mornese and Bosio, within the Capanne di Marcarolo natural park, and the Torrente Gorzente feeds and drains both basins. In dry periods the water drops enough to reveal the submerged Lavagnina farmstead and the 1850 metallurgical works, so timing a visit to low water shows what the reservoirs cover.

When water levels drop in dry periods, the sunken hamlet of Lavagnina reappears, including the metallurgical works built in 1852 to prepare gold ingots from local mines. The mines passed to the Société Anonyme des Mines d'or du Gorzente of Lyon, and the last one closed in 1913.