When nature wears glasses

After nearly ten years, the famous lake in the Sibillini Mountains has regained its extraordinary shape.

There is a place in Italy’s Marche region that recalls the world of vision even through its nickname: Lake Pilato, known as the “Eyeglasses Lake” because of the distinctive shape created by its two basins when water levels are high enough to connect them, offering a truly remarkable natural spectacle.

After years during which the two bodies of water remained separated, the lake has regained its characteristic appearance, restoring one of the most iconic landscapes of the Sibillini Mountains National Park. The phenomenon had not occurred for almost a decade and represents a particularly significant event for hikers, mountain enthusiasts and environmental observers.

Located at an altitude of 1,941 metres on the slopes of Mount Vettore, Lake Pilato is the only glacial lake in the Marche region. Its famous “eyeglasses” shape appears during periods of greater water availability, when the two natural basins reconnect to form a single figure. In recent years, however, reduced snowfall and changing climatic conditions had kept the two basins separated.

Beyond its scenic beauty, Lake Pilato is home to a unique ecosystem. Its waters host the Chirocephalus marchesonii, a rare endemic crustacean found exclusively in this environment and considered one of the most important natural treasures of the central Apennines.

The return of the shape that made the “Eyeglasses Lake” famous is therefore not only an interesting curiosity for eyewear enthusiasts, but also a positive sign for one of Italy’s most distinctive and fascinating mountain environments.

Photo courtesy of Christian Mariotti