Milan
Small Lombard lake
The lake lies at the gates of the city of Varese, between the morainic hills of the foothills of the Alps in the high Po plain. It was created when a glacial hollow was filled in the Quaternary period receiving its waters from a dozen or so mountain streams and rivers; the only emissary is the river Bardello.
Inhabited since prehistoric times when it villages were built on stilts on the edge of the water (remains found on Virginia island), the abundance of fish and birds in the lake has been exploited for centuries. Species present are pike, tench, barbel, trout, eel and bleak; nesting birds are the great crested grebe, the little bittern, the coot and the waterhen.
The main centres are Voltorre, with the remains of an ancient medieval cenoby, Biandronno, with the small lake, and Cazzago Brabbia. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the lake, its rivers and hills became a country retreat for the rich of Milan who filled its shores with villas and gardens.
| Neighborhood: | North-west |
| Varese, 21100 |