| Lake Orta | |
|---|---|
| Cusio | |
| |
 | |
  Lake Orta | |
| Location | Piedmont |
| Coordinates | 45°49′02″N8°24′24″E / 45.81722°N 8.40667°E /45.81722; 8.40667 |
| Primary inflows | underground springs, Scarpia, Pellino, Plesna, Qualba, Fiumetta, Pescone |
| Primary outflows | Nigoglia |
| Catchment area | 116 km2 (45 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Italy |
| Max. length | 13.4 km (8.3 mi) |
| Max. width | 2.5 km (1.6 mi) |
| Surface area | 18.2 km2 (7.0 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 71.6 m (235 ft) |
| Max. depth | 143 m (469 ft) |
| Water volume | 1.3 km3 (1,100,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Residence time | 8.9 years |
| Surface elevation | 290 m (950 ft) |
| Islands | Isola San Giulio |
| Settlements | Gozzano,Miasino,Nonio,Omegna,Orta San Giulio,Pella,Pettenasco,San Maurizio d'Opaglio |
Lake Orta (Italian:Lago d'Orta;Lombard andPiedmontese:Lagh d'Òrta) orCusio (Lombard and Piedmontese:Cusi;Latin:Lacus Cusius) is alake in northernItaly, west ofLake Maggiore.
It has been so named since the 16th century, but was previously calledLago di San Giulio, afterSaint Julius (4th century), thepatron saint of the region. Its southern end is about 35 kilometers (22 miles) by rail to the northwest of the city ofNovara (located on the main Turin-Milan line), while its northern end is about 6 kilometers (4 miles) by rail south of the Gravellona-Toce railway station, itself located halfway betweenOrnavasso andOmegna.[1]
Its scenery is characteristically Italian, whileSan Giulio island has some picturesque buildings, and takes its name from the local saint, who lived in the 4th century.[1] The island was fortified between the 5th and 6th centuries.[2]
Located around the lake areOrta San Giulio, built on a peninsula projecting from the east shore of the lake,Omegna at its northern extremity,[1]Pettenasco to the east, andPella to the west.
It is supposed that the lake is the remnant of a much larger sheet of water by which originally the waters of theToce flowed south towards Novara. As the glaciers retreated the waters flowing from them diminished, and were gradually diverted intoLake Maggiore.[1]
The inauguralEuropean Rowing Championships were held on Lake Ortain 1893.[3]
Frequent ferry service connects towns and villages around the lake.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Coolidge, William Augustus Brevoort (1911). "Orta, Lake of". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 331.
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