Lake Pergusa is a lake in Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

, set between a group of mountains in the Erean Mountains

Erean Mountains

The Erean Mountains are a mountain chain in central Sicily, southern Italy, mostly located in the central and northern areas of the province of Enna. The highest peak is the Monte Altesina, at 1,192 m over the sea level....

 chain 5 km from Enna

Enna

Enna is a city and comune located roughly at the center of Sicily, southern Italy, in the province of Enna, towering above the surrounding countryside...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. It is a vital place in the migratory current of lots of birds. In addition to birds, which are certainly the protagonists of the Pergusa nature reserve, here there are also interesing species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. At an elevation of 670 m, the lake's surface area is 1.83 km².

Around the lake, there is the most important racing track of Southern Italy, the Autodromo di Pergusa

Autodromo di Pergusa

The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna....

, that hosted international competitions and events, such as Formula One

Formula One

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

, Formula 3000 and a Ferrari Festival with Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...

.

In the area of Pergusa lake we can also find an archeological site, known as Cozzo Matrice, practically the rests of an old fortified village, where some imposing walls dating about the 9th millennium BC, a sacred citadel, a rich necropolis

Necropolis

A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...

 and the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Demeter

Demeter

In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...

, dating more than 2,000 years ago.

The important forest and green area named Selva Pergusina (meaning "Pergusa's Wood") surrounds a part of the Lake Pergusa Valley, evocating a scenographic panorama.

External links

• Enna tourist page (link apparently not active)
• Province of Enna
• Tourist Agency of Enna