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ORTA, LAKE OF

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 331 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ORTA, See also:LAKE OF , in N. See also:Italy, W. of Lago See also:Maggiore. It has been so named since the 16th See also:century, but was previously called the Lago di See also:San Giulio, the See also:patron of the region—See also:Curio is a merely poetical name. Its See also:southern end is about 22 M. by See also:rail N.W. of See also:Novara on the See also:main See also:Turin-See also:Milan See also:line, while its See also:north end is about 4 M. by rail S. of the Gravellona-Toce railway station, See also:half-way between Ornavayso and Omegna. It has an See also:area of about 64 sq. m., it is about 8 m. in length, its greatest See also:depth is 482 ft., and the See also:surface is 951 ft. above See also:sea-level, while its width varies from z to 14 m. Its scenery is characteristically See also:Italian, while the large See also:island of San Giulio (just W. of the See also:village of Orta) has some very picturesque buildings, and takes its name from the See also:local See also:saint, who lived in the 4th century. The See also:chief See also:place is Orta, built on a See also:peninsula projecting from the See also:east See also:shore of the lake, while Omegna is at its See also:northern extremity. It is supposed that the lake is the remnant of a much larger See also:sheet of See also:water by which originally the See also:waters of the Toce or Tosa flowed See also:south towards Novara. As the glaciers retreated the waters flowing from them sank, and were gradually diverted into Lago Maggiore. This explains why no considerable stream feeds the Lake of Orta, while at its north end the Nigoglia torrent flows out of it, but in about a m. it falls into the Strona, which in turn soon joins the Toce or Tosa, a See also:short distance before this See also:river flows into Lago Maggiore. (W. A.

B.

End of Article: ORTA, LAKE OF

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