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Independent practical guide

History of Lake Resia

An introduction to the reservoir, the communities involved and the landscape's memorial value, without reducing a complex history to a simplified legend. Separate the reservoir’s construction, the relocation of settlements and contemporary remembrance: they are different layers and should be read through institutional records and contextualised testimony.

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Short answer

The documented history of Lake Resia: Graun before the dam, the 1950 reservoir, displacement and the surviving submerged bell tower.

The bell tower of old Curon rises from Lake Resia in a frontal photograph from 2017
Documented visual context31 July 2017: the bell tower of old Curon and the opposite shore. The photographed water level does not represent today's level.PantheraLeo1359531 · Wikimedia Commons file pageWebP derivative from the 1280 px Wikimedia copy; no content changes. Derivative licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.CC BY-SA 4.0
Two faces of Curon's bell tower showing masonry, clock faces and its reflection
Documented visual context31 July 2017: the oblique view shows the masonry and clock faces. This is dated visual documentation, not a conservation assessment.PantheraLeo1359531 · Wikimedia Commons file pageWebP derivative from the 1280 px Wikimedia copy; no content changes. Derivative licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.CC BY-SA 4.0
Archive photograph of the tower in Lake Resia, taken by Rudolf Knobloch in 1986
Documented visual context8 September 1986: the bell tower photographed by Rudolf Knobloch. This image is later than the 1950 flooding; it does not show the village before submersion.Rudolf Knobloch · Wikimedia Commons file pageWebP derivative from the 1280 px Wikimedia copy; no content changes. Derivative licence: CC0 1.0.CC0 1.0

A chronology rather than a legend

The twentieth-century account links hydropower planning, reservoir construction, settlement displacement and present-day remembrance; each stage needs its own context.

Before the large reservoir

Two natural lakes occupied the area, Lake Resia and Lake Graun or Mittersee, together with the settlements of Graun and Reschen.

1939 and 1947

Montecatini received the dam concession in 1939 and resumed the project in 1947 after the wartime interruption.

1949–1950

The artificial reservoir joining the two lakes was built between 1949 and 1950. In 1950 the landscape and community life changed permanently.

Four dates to structure the account

Use 1939, 1947 and the 1949–1950 period as documented chronological anchors, then map the settlements and bell tower without collapsing the stages.

A 22 metres rise

The revised project called for the water level to rise by 22 metres. Old Graun and part of Reschen lay within the area intended for flooding.

Evacuation and demolition

Affected residents were evacuated and their property and land expropriated. Old Graun’s buildings were demolished before the area was submerged.

The surviving bell tower

The Romanesque bell tower, built around the end of the fourteenth century separately from the church, was not demolished. Its bells had been removed before the flooding.

Stable history, variable visit

Historical sources do not report today’s accessibility or conditions; water, paths, traffic and services need a separate check before departure.

Symbol and memory

The tower has become the lake’s recognisable image, yet for people who left their homes it also remains a sign of loss and broken community continuity.

Beyond the photograph

Published cultural visits connect the bell tower, St Anne’s church and the Upper Venosta Valley museum. Check the event record for dates, booking and duration.

Three different layers

Keep the former settlement of Graun, the new village built nearby and the artificial reservoir distinct. A generic “submerged city” label erases important historical differences.
Compare the measured facts