Lake
Bolsena, 114 sq. Km, with a perimeter of 43 Km, is the largest lake in
Lazio and the fifth largest in Italy. It is the largest italian lake
formed from the crater of an extinct volcano. Sixty kilometers of
panoramic road skirt the lake, at times down by the shore, at times up
to the surrounding ridges. The lake has two islets where the typical
Mediterranean scrub vegetation thrives. Around the edge of the lake
oak and chestnut woods are interspersed with vine and olive
cultivation. The lake is rich in tench, carpand, eels, a delicacy sice
Roman times. This area was first inhabited in the first Iron Age, as can be seen
from the ruins of Villanovan villages now under water due to a rise in
the water level. In pre-Etruscan time the town of Bisentium stood here
and later the Etruscan town of Vesna flourished, later to become the
latin Volsini, today known as Bolsena. A road alongside the lake leads from Bolsena to Marta, another
medieval village built at the end of the river which shares its name.
Another important lakeside is Capodimonte, which stands on a small
peninsula. The lake has two islets, Bisentina,
three km from Capodimonte, which takes its name from the ancient town
of Bisentium, and Martana,
two and a half km from Marta. |
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