Silvia Camporesi recreates sunken Tuscan village Fabbriche di Careggine
Silvia Camporesi, an Italian artist born in 1973 in Forlì, embarked on a project focused on the submerged village of Fabbriche di Careggine, established in the 13th century in Tuscany. This village, which comprised 31 stone homes, a church, and a cemetery, was inundated in 1941 by the Selt-Valdarno company under the fascist regime to create a hydroelectric reservoir, displacing 146 residents to Vagli di Sotto. The lake was drained for maintenance in 1958, 1974, 1983, and 1994, exposing the village's ruins. In response to rumors of another draining since 2007, Camporesi crafted 1:20 scale plaster models in the summer of 2019, capturing them submerged, emerging, and in a quarry for her project titled "Il Paese Sommerso" (2019).
Key facts
- Fabbriche di Careggine was founded in the 13th century by blacksmiths from Brescia
- The village had 31 stone houses, a church with bell tower, a three-arch bridge, and a cemetery
- In 1941, Selt-Valdarno (now Enel) dammed the Edron river to create a hydroelectric reservoir
- 146 inhabitants were relocated to Vagli di Sotto
- The lake was drained in 1958, 1974, 1983, and 1994
- In 1994, visitors from all over Italy came to see the emerged village
- Silvia Camporesi created 1:20 scale plaster models of the village in summer 2019
- The project includes photographs of models in an aquarium, shallow water, and a quarry
- The village lies under 80 meters of water and is unreachable by divers
- In 2015, the mayor proposed a submarine capsule for tourism, which was not realized
Entities
Artists
- Silvia Camporesi
Institutions
- Selt-Valdarno
- Enel
- Comune di Vagli di Sotto
Locations
- Fabbriche di Careggine
- Tuscany
- Alpi Apuane
- Brescia
- Edron river
- Vagli di Sotto
- Forlì