Lago Ex SNIA, Artificial lake in Pigneto district, Rome, Italy.
Lago Ex SNIA is an artificial lake in Rome's V Municipio, between Pigneto, via Prenestina, via di Portonaccio and Casal Bertone. It lies in the public Parco delle Energie, fed by the spring waters of the old fosso della Marranella. Its surface is larger than the laghetto of Villa Borghese, making it the biggest lake inside Rome's railway ring.
The lake formed accidentally in 1992 when construction workers struck an underground aquifer while digging for a parking lot. This unexpected discovery left behind a body of water that has remained stable since then.
The lake's name echoes the old Acqua Bullicante district and the Marranella stream that still feeds it. In September 2022 Rome hosted a twinning ceremony linking the lake with the Marais Wiels lake in Forest, Brussels, both born of accidental flooding. Citizen committees have campaigned for the site since the 1990s.
The lake lies inside the public Parco delle Energie, between the Pigneto district, via Prenestina and via di Portonaccio. Its spring-fed water is clean and potentially swimmable, and the surface can be crossed by canoe. Remains of the 1990s building site, including concrete structures, still stand in the area.
The lake is home to over 300 plant species and nearly 60 bird species that have settled in this unexpected location. This biological diversity shows how an accidental discovery became a refuge for wildlife.
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