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Italian Village 'Built Own Sun' To Combat Three Months Of Darkness

Italian Village 'Built Own Sun' To Combat Three Months Of Darkness

The village fitted a huge computer operated mirror to a mountain top

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A village in Italy that spends three months in darkness built its own 'sun' using a large mirror to reflect light downwards. You can see an explainer about the unusual structure here:

Sharing a clip about the 'town of darkness' TikTok user Dr Karan - who you can follow on TikTok @dr.karanr or @drkaranrajan on Instagram - explained how the village of Viganella spends around 90 days in darkness due to the fact that it's situated at the bottom of a steep valley and is surrounded by mountains that block out the light.

Dr Karan said: "This is Viganella - a town plunged into darkness for 90 days between November and February.

"It's surrounded by mountains and steep valleys which block the sun's rays.

"The lack of sunlight meant the townsfolk experienced falling serotonin levels - the alertness hormone.

"Lack of natural light can have negative impacts on mood, sleep, energy levels and crime rates."

So in 2006, the village decided to fit an 8 metre by 5 metre sheet of solid steel on top of one of the highest mountains, that would act as a mirror and reflect the sunlight back down into the village's centre.

TikTok/@dr.karanr

According to the BBC, the project cost €100,000 euros (which was around £67,110 at the time) and saw the mirror hooked up to a computer to follow the sun's path - clever, eh?

Speaking at the time, Viganella Mayor Pierfranco Midali said: "It wasn't easy.

"We had to find the proper material, learn about the technology and especially find the money."

Dr Karan went on to explain: "The mirror reflects light for six hours a day, allowing people to socialise."

Speaking in 2008, Midali said: "The idea behind the project doesn't have a scientific basis, but a human one.

"It comes from a desire to let people socialise in winter when the town shuts down due to the cold and the dark."

TikTok/@dr.karanr

Fellow TikTok users were impressed with the village's ability to adjust and adapt - one person wrote: "OK, this is actual genius."

Another wrote: "Wow - this is amazing."

While someone else joked: "The whole of the UK needs this."

Viganella isn't the only village to create its own sunshine, Rjukan in Norway set up a similar project in 2013.

Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@dr.karanr

Topics: Interesting, Italy, TikTok