Cingino Dam
| Cingino Dam | |
|---|---|
 Alpine Ibex goats on the wall | |
  Location of Cingino Dam in Italy | |
| Official name | Diga del Cingino |
| Country | Italy |
| Location | Antrona Schieranco, Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont |
| Coordinates | 46°1′49″N 8°2′17″E / 46.03028°N 8.03806°E |
| Construction began | 1925 |
| Opening date | 1930 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity, masonry |
| Height | 49 metres (161 ft)[1] |
The Cingino Dam is a gravity masonry dam located 7 kilometres (4 mi) southwest of Antrona Schieranco, Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in Piedmont, Italy. The dam creates Lago Cingino (or Cingino reservoir) which is fed by the Antigine and Troncone streams.[2] The reservoir has a surface area of 0.14 square kilometres (0.1 sq mi) and is maximum 2,262 metres (7,421 ft) above sea level,[3] typically 2,250 metres (7,382 ft).[4] It is one of five reservoirs within a hydroelectric complex in the Valle Antrona and helps supply the Campliccioli Power Plant with water for power production.[2]
The dam became an internet sensation due to pictures of Alpine Ibex that climb up its steep downstream face in order to lick salt off the stones.[5] A video shared by the BBC's Forces of Nature with Brian Cox has been viewed over 208 million times as of May 2022.[6] Despite the picturesque setting, Atlas Obscura describes the dam as "otherwise unremarkable."[7]
References
- ^ Biancardi, Carlo Massimo; Minetti, Alberto Enrico (2017). "Gradient limits and safety factor of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) locomotion". Italian Journal of Mammalogy. 28 (1). abstract. doi:10.4404/hystrix-28.1-11504. eISSN 1825-5272.
- ^ a b "Dams and Power Plants of the Antrona Valley". Municipality of Antrona Schieranco. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "Cingino". LIMNO Banca dati dei laghi italiani (in Italian). National Research Council (Italy). Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "Dams and Power Plants of the Antrona Valley - cartina" (pdf). Municipality of Antrona Schieranco. 2017-03-06. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ Dell'Amore, Christine (2010-11-01). ""Mind-Boggling" Pictures: Goats Scale Dam in Italy". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "The incredible ibex defies gravity and climbs a dam". BBC. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2021-02-13 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Goats of the Cinigo Dam". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2021-02-17.