"Avigliana and its lakes" Avigliana by Polly74

The Parco Naturale Laghi di Avigliana, established in 1980, is situated at the the mouth of the Susa valley, at the foot of Mt. Pirchiriano on which the ancient abbey of the Sacra di San Michele lies. It is a typical area of the Rivoli-Avigliana morainic amphitheatre, about 20 kilometers far from Torino.

Despite its limited surface, the territory of Avigliana is particularly rich in different environments and ecological situations. The main aspect of the area where modern man and nature are strictly linked one to the other is represented by the Laghi di Avigliana which are, together with the morainic formations surrounding them, an evidence of the last two glacial periods.

The origins of the Laghi di Avigliana and of the morainic amphitheatre date back to the last two glaciations of the Pleistocene period.
Probably the glacial events led to the formation of four lake basins, among which the peatbog of Trana and the current wetland of the Mareschi which were soon covered by the detritus coming down from the surrounding hills.
The fish population is mainly characterized by cyprinids, and among the fishes of the two lakes there are pikes, bleaks, tenches, carps, different kinds of perches, and eels.
Each palustrine basin has its particular features. As a matter of fact, the Lago Piccolo (60 hectares, 356 m. above sea-level), which throws its waters in the Lago Grande (90 hectares, 352 m above sea-level), presents without a doubt more natural features, because it is surrounded by woods, meadows, and by a rather large cane-brake.