Arsiè
Arsiè is a mountain municipality in the province of Belluno, set between the Valsugana and the first foothills of Monte Grappa, on...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Arsiè
A border territory between Belluno and Trentino
Arsiè lies at the far western edge of the province of Belluno, in a hinge position between the Trentino Valsugana, Monte Grappa and the Valbelluna, which opens toward the plain here. This border location has, over the centuries, made the area a place of passage and exchange between different alpine cultures, and still explains certain affinities with the neighbouring Trentino areas today, both in landscape and in local traditions. The municipality is made up of numerous small hamlets scattered across the mountain slopes, each with its own historical identity.
The Ligont plain before the lake
Before the dam was built, the area now occupied by Lago del Corlo was known as the Ligont plain, a water-rich and fertile zone, cultivated almost entirely with corn and tobacco, with the small hamlets of Giuliàt, Cèsa, Cabalàu and Carèr clustered around the church of Rocca. It was a lively valley, crossed by the Cismon stream, which for centuries had supported a mountain farming economy based on these crops, in an area otherwise short of flat, cultivable land. The memory of this now-submerged plain remains alive in the stories told by the area's older residents.
The dam, 1954 and the submerged villages
Starting in the 1930s, the SADE electricity company launched an ambitious project to dam the Cismon stream and create a large hydroelectric reservoir, following preliminary studies that dated back to 1908. The work involved expropriating land and demolishing the villages of the Ligont plain; with the creation of the reservoir in 1954, the villages of Giuliàt, Cèsa, Cabalàu and Carèr, along with the church of Rocca, fields and roads, were almost entirely submerged. Only the church's bell tower was spared, and it still emerges from the lake today in the hamlet of Rocca, becoming one of the most striking and photographed symbols of the entire Belluno area.
Lago del Corlo today
Lago del Corlo, with its distinctive elongated shape, has over time turned from a wound in the landscape into one of the area's most valued natural features, drawing hikers, anglers and photographers. Its shores, between woods and small pebble beaches, offer scenic walking and cycling routes, with views of the submerged bell tower which, during low-water periods, re-emerges almost entirely, briefly bringing back the image of the vanished village. The lake is today the main attraction for anyone visiting Arsiè, combining a striking landscape with a moving story of transformed communities.
Mountain life and local economy
Arsiè today is a low-density mountain municipality, whose economy relies on a mix of niche farming, small craft businesses, hiking and lake-based tourism, and commuting to the centres of the Trentino Valsugana and the Valbelluna. Not being a mass-tourism destination, the town retains a genuine character, made up of small communities tied to their own hamlets, mountain farming traditions and a close relationship with a territory deeply marked by twentieth-century events, from the First World War to the building of the dam.
Getting there and surroundings
Arsiè can be reached from the Valsugana or from Feltre, via mountain roads that climb the Cismon valley, and is a convenient crossing point between Trentino and the Belluno area. The area lends itself to slow tourism, made up of walks around the lake, visits to small mountain hamlets and food and wine stops at local refuges and agriturismi. Nearby are Feltre, with its Venetian historic centre, and the first slopes of Monte Grappa, a destination for further hiking and First World War history itineraries.
Experiences not to miss
- See the submerged bell tower of the church of Rocca when it re-emerges from Lago del Corlo
- Walk or cycle the scenic trails around the lake
- Discover the history of the Ligont plain and the villages lost when the dam was built
- Explore the small mountain hamlets scattered across Arsiè's slopes
- Enjoy quiet fishing and hiking away from the main tourist crowds
To see
What to see in Arsiè
Routes · Trovido Route
