Lakes of Lombardy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lake Garda

With an area of 370 square kilometres, Lago di Garda is nearly twice as large as the next-largest Italian lake. It has been popular holiday destination for a long time (the Roman poet Catullus had a villa on its shores), and tourism forms the basis for the economy of the small town of Garda, on its southern side.

The popular theme park Gardaland is located on the eastern edge of the lake, which features a number of roller coasters, as well as dark rides, water rides, and more.

Answer: Lake Maggiore

Lago Maggiore (meaning Greater Lake) is also called Lago Verbāno. It is Italy's longest lake (65 km), but because it is quite narrow its area is significantly less than that of Lake Garda, with an area of around 210 sq km. It is possibly stretching things to call it a Lombard lake, although its eastern shore is in Lombardy: The western shore is in the Piedmont, and the northern shore in Switzerland, where it is that country's lowest point above sea level. Readers of Hemingway's 'A Farewell to Arms' may remember the escape from Italy by means of rowing across Lake Maggiore to Switzerland.

Answer: Lake Como

Lago di Como (also known by its Latin name of Lario, but more commonly named after the largest town on its shore) is Italy's deepest lake (with its bottom lying nearly 200 m below sea level), as well as being the third largest, with an area of 146 sq km.

It has been a popular retreat since Roman times, and visitors can still see Roman villas along with more modern residences. Pliny the Elder (known for his historical writing, including his death while recording the explosion of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 CE) was born in the town of Como. Mark Twain's 1869 travel book 'The Innocents Abroad', which recounts his journey through Europe and on to Jerusalem, includes a lengthy section describing the beauty of Lake Como and its surroundings.

Answer: Lake Iseo

Lago d'Iseo is so named after the town on its southern tip. There you can see the monument, built in 1883, which was the first to commemorate the role of Giuseppe Garibaldi in establishing the modern nation of Italy. The lake has three main islands (Monte Isola, Loreto and San Paolo) which together make up the commune of Monte Isola.

The town of that name is found on the largest island, which is the largest lake island in Italy, as well as one of the highest lake islands in Europe. Its highest point is 600m above sea level, nearly 200m above the level of Lake Iseo.

Answer: Lake Lugano

Lago di Lugano, also called Lago di Ceresio from its Latin name, lies on the Swiss-Italian border, between Lake Como and Lake Maggiore. The name Ceresio means cherry, apparently a reference to the abundant cherry trees found there at one time. Only about a third of the lake's water and shoreline is Italian, with the rest being part of the Swiss canton of Ticino.

The city from which it gets its name is actually in Switzerland, and is the largest city outside of Italy where the majority of the population speak Italian. Eurovision fans may remember it as the host city for the first Eurovision Song Contest, in 1956.

Answer: Varese Lake

Lago di Varese is not one of the most widely-known of Lombardy's lakes, unless you are a fan of water sports, as it has not been developed as a tourist destination. However, its relatively shallow waters (averaging only 11m) have made it an excellent venue for holding canoe and rowing races. It is known in those circles as having hosted a number of prestigious European and World title events during the early part of the 21st century.

From the industrial city of Varese, you can visit the Sacro Monte di Varese, one of nine sacri monti in the Lombardy and Piedmont regions which have been designated World Heritage sites. Each of them consists of a series of chapels and points of reflection spaced along a mountain. Constructed during the 16th and 17th centuries, they are intended to allow Christians to commemorate Christ's journey to Calvary, on the way to his execution, as the mountain is ascended along the designated pathway.

Answer: Lake Idro

Lago d'Idro is also called Erido, from its Latin name. Both names refer to the town of Idro, located in the southwestern part of the 24 km long shoreline. The Chiese River is the largest river that enters the lake, although there are some smaller feeders, and it is the sole river taking water out of the lake.

In the 21st century, Lake Idro has faced serious environmental issues, including eutrophication due to inadequate sewage treatment in the communes along its edges. Industrial and agricultural diversion of the input rivers is also a source of contention.

Answer: Lago del Barbellino

Lago del Barbellino is the largest artificial lake in Lombardy, with a volume of over 18 million cubic metres. It was created in 1931 when a dam was built across the River Serio to supply hydroelectricity to the Seriana valley, in support of the developing textile industry there.

Not far away is Lago del Barbellino Naturale, a much smaller natural lake lying in a basin surrounded by mountains from which the runoff of melting snow accumulates, along with the plentiful rainfall found in the area. It is neither fed nor drained by any notable waterway.

Answer: Idroscalo

In 1930, seaplanes were all the rage, and this lake was constructed in Milan to provide a landing place for flights. When their popularity declined, it was re-purposed for recreation and sporting activities. The lake offers kayaking, canoeing, rowing, dragon boat racing, sailing, swimming and waterskiing. Activities available in the park surrounding the lake include horse riding, running, mountain bike riding and free climbing. If that's not enough variety, it is only a short trip to Europark Idroscalo Milano, which offers a standard range of amusement park rides.

Answer: Gerundo Lake

You won't be able to see this lake when you visit Lombardy, because it is no longer there, but in the Middle Ages it covered a large area centered on what is now the city of Crema. Geologic changes to the landscape, alongside human activities in support of settlements in the region, eventually led to the lake losing its water, and the region is now solid land.

But it merits inclusion here because of its dragon! According to popular tales, a dragon called Tarānto (or Tarantasio) lived in the lake, and exuded deadly poison in its breath.

The story was probably based on a number of facts: the marshy area would have made an ideal breeding ground for malarial mosquitoes, and the fact that there are large reserves of natural gas under the region, which could certainly have emitted unpleasant odors. Legends of the creature abound in the region - you can even see what is claimed to be one of its ribs hanging in the ceiling of the Church of San Bassiano, in Pizzighettone. According to the legends, the drying up of the lake was caused by the death of Tarānto.