The VERZASCA DAM, 007!

The VERZASCA DAM (Contra Dam) in the valley of the same name, was made famous in the 007, James Bond, movie Golden Eye from 1995 where Pierce Brosnan jumped from it. The dam was constructed from 1961 to 1965 and is 220 meters high and 380 meters wide/long.

The lake behind the dam, Lago di Vogorno, can hold more than 100.000.000 cubic metres of water. The power plant can produce 105 Mega Watts. We have been here several times. This year, we visited totally off-season and were completely alone – a weird experience as the dam is normally fairly crowded. And now to an interesting fact. It is possible to do the James Bond jump. 220 meters. We haven’t tried it, but our brave son has, some years ago. This year, 2024, it is open from Easter Saturday, 30th March. At the end of the lake is where one of the most famous, and small, stone house villages is situated, Corippo. Parts of Corippo are now hotel apartments in the ancient houses.