Archaelogical dig starts at Exeter Cathedral

An archaeological dig which has just started at Exeter Cathedral could uncover artefacts as far back as the Romans.

The first stone has been lifted in a six-week investigative dig where a new cloister gallery will ultimately be built.

Archaeologists want to find out what is below the paving slabs and grass which covers the area just outside the cathedral's chapter house, which has never been examined before.

The dig is expected to provide crucial information about the layout of the medieval cloister - which was torn down in 1657 - and the state of its foundations which, if still serviceable, will be reused for the new building.

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Medieval Italian village may resurface in 2021

The waters of Lake Vagli in Tuscany are the hiding place of a medieval village. Plans are now being made to reveal this site once again in 2021.

Media from Italy and around the world have been reporting that the waters of Lake Vagli, a man-made reservoir, will be drained next year, which would expose the village of Fabbriche di Careggine. This village was founded around the year 1270 by blacksmiths and existed for hundreds of years as a small mining community. However, in 1946 the creation of a hydro-electric dam forced the village to be abandoned, with its 150 residents being moved to the nearby town of Vagli Sotto.



The waters of Lake Vagli in Tuscany are the hiding place of a medieval village. Plans are now being made to reveal this site once again in 2021.

Media from Italy and around the world have been reporting that the waters of Lake Vagli, a man-made reservoir, will be drained next year, which would expose the village of Fabbriche di Careggine. This village was founded around the year 1270 by blacksmiths and existed for hundreds of years as a small mining community. However, in 1946 the creation of a hydro-electric dam forced the village to be abandoned, with its 150 residents being moved to the nearby town of Vagli Sotto.

Lorenza Giorgi, a local resident, was the first to report that municipal officials were working with the dam operators to have the lake drained in 2021, which would allow tourists to explore the ruins of Fabbriche di Careggine. This has happened on four previous occasions – in the years 1958, 1974, 1983 and 1994 – because of maintenance work on the dam. On the last occasion about a million visitors came to see the ruins, which include homes, a bridge, cemetery and church.

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