Do you know the story of the characteristic church tower at Lake Resia?

The solitary construction that stands near the shores of the lake, which stretches 6.6 kilometres and is one kilometre wide, offers a panoramic view of the Vallelunga mountains, one of the most unspoilt valleys in the Alps.

The setting is completed by the municipalities of Resia and Curon Venosta, as well as the villages Casone and Spin. However, behind this beauty lies a painful past.

In 1950, five years after the end of World War II, the construction of a large dam for hydroelectric power generation was completed, which united two of the three natural reservoirs of the Reschen Pass.

Lake Resia and Lake Curon were united, while Lake San Valentino alla Muta remained untouched. The old village of Curon Venosta and part of the municipality of Resia were submerged by the waters, forcing the inhabitants to abandon house and land and build a new life elsewhere.

The bell tower of the Romanesque Church of St Catherine of Alexandria, dating back to 1357, is the only building that survived the explosion that demolished around 160 buildings and stands as a memorial to the past of these places.