Towers of Old Itá — Itá Reservoir, Itá
1936 (church founded) · Itá Reservoir, Uruguay River, Itá, Santa Catarina
Photo: LeonardoG / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain), as published on Street Art Utopia, cropped.
The Towers of Old Itá are the two bell towers of the former Igreja Matriz São Pedro, the only structures left of the old town of Itá in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The town was demolished and covered by the reservoir of the Itá hydroelectric plant, and the towers still rise from the water beside a viewpoint park. Source Source Source Source Checked
Seen Aug 2026: Olhar Digital (17 Aug 2026) writes that the church towers still rise above the surface of the reservoir. Its illustrations are AI-generated, so this rests on the text alone. Source Reported
💡 5 things to know
- The only thing left of the townNSC Total reports that of about 200 houses in old Itá, the only structure left is the pair of church towers; JDV also gives about 200 houses and some 2,000 residents. Source Source Checked
- They resisted demolitionEvery other building was demolished, but the towers withstood attempts to pull them down; residents took it as a divine sign and asked for them to be kept. JDV says locals tell of a tractor and steel cable that failed, and that the real reason was never fully explained. Source Source Checked
- A church of São PedroThe towers belonged to the parish church of São Pedro (São Pedro Apóstolo); NSC Total says the church was founded in 1936. Source Source Source Checked
- Half under waterAccording to JDV, the towers stand about 15 metres above the waterline, with roughly 10 metres submerged. Source Reported
- Lit at nightThe towers stand on an island a few metres from the shore, with a wooded park and a viewpoint facing them; at night they are specially illuminated. Source Reported
📍 Where it is
In the reservoir of the Itá hydroelectric plant on the Uruguay River, near the new town of Itá, western Santa Catarina. Sources disagree on the distance between old and new town: four km (Olhar Digital) or about five km (NSC Total, JDV). Source Source Source Source Checked
Opens a map search for the towers of old Itá; the exact coordinates are not confirmed by a source.
🗓️ Sightings
- 1936
Parish church of São Pedro founded · NSC Total
- 1996
New town of Itá officially inaugurated · Olhar Digital
- 1999Dec
Reservoir filling begins; the towers stay above the water · Olhar Digital
- 20249 May
Towers described as the only structure left of 200 houses · NSC Total
- 202523 Jun
Towers reported 15 m above the waterline · JDV
- 202619 Mar
Guide describes the lit towers and viewpoint park · Viagens e Caminhos
- 202628 Jul
Two towers described rising from the lake as a reminder of the old town · Olhar Digital
- 202617 Aug
Towers still rising above the reservoir · Olhar Digital
Amber stamps mark records or reports; green stamps are dated photos. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
A história da pequena cidade de SC que foi submersa para construção de usina
“todas as construções foram demolidas, mas as torres da igreja resistiram às tentativas de derrubá-las.”
According to the municipality, all the buildings were demolished, but the church towers resisted the attempts to bring them down.
Duas torres emergem de um lago e guardam a cidade que precisou mudar de endereço
“A comunidade pediu que a estrutura permanecesse como lembrança do lugar.”
The community asked for the structure to remain as a reminder of the place.
Itá SC: 20 atrações e passeios na cidade
“As torres da antiga Igreja Matriz São Pedro são as únicas estruturas que restaram da antiga cidade de Itá, …”
The towers of the old São Pedro parish church are the only structures left of the old town of Itá.
✅ The facts
- Builder
- Unknown Unconfirmed
- Dam
- Itá hydroelectric plant, Uruguay River; inaugurated October 2000 per Viagens e Caminhos, 1997 per JDV Source Source Conflicting
- New town
- Inaugurated 1996, 4 km away (Olhar Digital, Viagens e Caminhos give 1996); NSC Total says built 1997–2000, 5 km away Source Source Source Conflicting
🔗 Related
All sources & image credits
- Olhar Digital — Duas torres emergem de um lago e guardam a cidade que precisou mudar de endereço — 28 Jul 2026
- Olhar Digital (Ana Beatriz Paes) — A cidade de Santa Catarina que mudou de lugar para dar espaço a uma hidrelétrica e deixou duas torres no meio do lago — 17 Aug 2026
- NSC Total (Júlia Venâncio) — A história da pequena cidade de SC que foi submersa para construção de usina — 9 May 2024
- JDV (Gabriela Bubniak) — As torres que resistiram ao fim: o mistério de Itá, cidade submersa de SC — 23 Jun 2025
- Viagens e Caminhos — Itá SC: 20 atrações e passeios na cidade — updated 19 Mar 2026
- Hero image: LeonardoG / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain), as published on Street Art Utopia (cropped there). A 16:9 share image was made from it with blurred sides.
Last checked: 7 November 2026 · How we verify art