Capodimonte,
the gem of the Lake of Bolsena, is an age-old town located
on a promontory which dominates the lake, forming a
little, delightful peninsula.
The town clusters around the "Rocca Farnese",
the present Town Hall. The Collegiata Church site (335
metres above sea level) gives the visitor a lovely view of
the landscape.
Capodimonte dates back to the Etruscan period, as the
large amount of archaeological finds testifies. Further
evidence is represented by the mid-1980s discovery of a
Palaeolithic monoxile pirogue, now under repair in the
Cultural Centre "Vittorio Fanelli", Viale
Regina Margherita.
Capodimonte can be considered to be the heir town of the
old VESENTUM (Bisenzio), a very important Umbrian-Etruscan
town which has a large necropolis where real treasures
from the Neolithic, Villanovan, Etruscan and Roman periods
have been brought to light.
The lakeside street of Capodimonte is about 2 kilometres.
It is bordered with poplars and age-old elms on both sides,
also with a beautiful lawn which is one of the favourite
destinations for locals and tourists coming here to bask
in the sun and relax.
The old part of the town is perched on the promontory and
it is surrounded by kitchen gardens extending downward up
to the lake shores. The rest of the centre features
spacious streets, new and comfortable houses, villas with
incredible gardens, hotels, restaurants, bars, and bathing
establishments. They all are located along the boulevard
and are all easy to reach.
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Needless
to say, tourism is a driving activity for
Capodimonte. The town, along with its natural assets,
offers a modern and well-equipped tourist harbour,
sports facilities for tennis, volleyball,
basketball, soccer, skating, sailing, water skiing,
rowing, water scooter riding, and fishing, which
draws an increasingly large influx of foreign
tourists.
There are two large squares: Piazza Umberto I with
the beautiful Church of San Carlo and Piazza della
Rocca taking its name from the 16th century imposing
"Rocca Farnese" being the site for
the Town Hall, the Collegiata Church, the Palazzo
Puniatoschi and the war memorial.
Bisentina and Martana are the two isles of Lake
Bolsena; the Bisentina (17 hectares) is in the
territory of Capodimonte. One can also enjoy boat
trips on the lake out to the islands by motorboats
or ferryboats. The island is well worth a visit not
only for its thick holm woods, gardens and views,
but also for its monuments, such as Vignola's church
with an elegant lead-covered cupola. Other
attractions are the octagonal chapel by Sangallo,
with frescos executed in the 15th century,
situated high on the "Rocchina"
tufa peak, the Etruscan-roman dovecot, the marble
tomb of Ranuccio III Farnese and the Malta dei Papi,
a dreadful dungeon for life imprisonment for priests
guilty of heresy or other serious crimes. |
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Evocative points of
interest in Capodimonte include:
- Piazza della
Rocca, the Fortress, the church of Santa Maria
Assunta, the Porticella, the Mergonara, all
located in the historical centre.
- The Archaeological Park of Mount Bisenzo with
the characteristic "Piccionara"
and an archaeological-naturalistic park
- Bisentina Island.
- The underwater crib near the gardens in Via
della Rocca (Pontocello).
- The historical-religious museum in Via della
Rocca.
- Capodimonte has a variety of traditions offering
religious festivities and food and wine feasts:
" 17 January: Sant'Antonio Abate -
horse parade - blessing to animals - equestrian
games - a bonfire.
" 20 January: San Sebastiano, patron
saint day and Town celebration of Vigili Urbani
d'Italia and the Polizia Municipale.
" Third Sunday
after Easter: traditional decoration of the
streets with flowers and procession dedicated to
the Madonna delle Grazie.
" Second Sunday of August: preparation of coregone
base dishes (Coregone is a typical fish
from the Lake).
" 15 August: Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo:
grand feast with a night procession and
spectacular fireworks on the lake.
" 16 August: San Rocco feast, the town's
other patron saint. There's a procession parading
with the bust of the Saint.
It is the most important time of Capodimonte
summer. People can enjoy dancing on the terrace by
the lakeside street, watching art shows and movies
in the open, listening to concerts of chamber
music and the Schola Cantorum of
Capodimonte.
In December, for Christmas, an evocative crib is
prepared, streets are lit up and concerts are
organized.
For the year 2000, besides the traditional feasts
and initiatives, the Commune organized the
Millennium Concert scheduled for the 2nd
of January with the participation of several
Scholae Cantorum.
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