The Lago di Lentini, also called Biviere, is a
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
near
Lentini
Lentini ( scn, Lintini, historically Liuntini; la, Leontīnī; grc, Λεοντῖνοι) is a town and in the Province of Syracuse, South East of Sicily (Southern Italy).
History
The city was founded by colonists from Naxos as Leontini in 72 ...
in the
Province of Syracuse
The Province of Syracuse ( it, provincia di Siracusa; scn, pruvincia di Sarausa) was a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital was the city of Syracuse, a town established by Greek colonists arriving from Corinth ...
,
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
[ ] It is the largest lake on the island.
History
The origin of the lake is attributed to the
Knights Templar
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between the end of the 12th and the start of the 13th century. They blocked the bed of the river Trigona-Galici before it merged into the river San Leonardo so as to create a space for hunting and fishing.
During the 19th century, increased attention was paid to the fact that the lake was the cause of the spread of
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
during warm seasons. Therefore, a process of reclamation was started in the 20th century and the lake was dried out in the 1930s. The reclamation continued for about 30 years and the lake disappeared in the 1970s. In the late 1970s, the lake was rebuilt using the public fund
Cassa per il Mezzogiorno. The new lake is smaller but deeper and has become rich in vegetation and fauna.
Further reading
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lentini
Lakes of Sicily