Episode #268: Lake Bolsena – Nature, history, and tradition

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Summary

In this episode, we journey to the picturesque region of Tuscia, nestled in northern Lazio, with Elena Ronca as our guide. We explored the stunning volcanic Lake Bolsena and discovered its serene waters and rich Etruscan history. Elena shared the hidden gems of the area, including the captivating villages, ancient traditions, and the intriguing story of Saint Christina’s martyrdom. Whether you’re an art lover or adventure seeker, Tuscia offers a unique blend of culture, nature, and history.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• The Lazio region is not only about Rome – the area of Tuscia, just a few hours north, is known for its natural beauty and pristine environment
• There is significance in the name ‘Tuscia’, which relates to the Etruscans – the first Italians
• Tuscia borders both Tuscany and Umbria
• At its heart, Lake Bolsena (the largest volcanic lake in Europe) is of great importance to the area and creates a microclimate in its surroundings 
• The lake attracts Europeans, Italians and even the locals who head there in the summer rather than the coast
• There are incredible towns around the lake and even one that got lost over time to become an underwater archaeological site
• There are other smaller lakes and hot springs in the vicinity worth exploring
• There are some key Christian connections in the area, including the martyrdom of Santa Cristina and its annual celebrations and the Miracle of Bolsena with its religious importance
• Notable towns on the lake are Marta, Capodimonte and Bolsena, the lake’s namesake and where they hold the Infiorata flower festival
• There are also islands on the lake to explore; in particular, Bisentina has some unique historical sites
• Tuscia is a lovely, safe environment in which to spend time. Perfect for those who love nature, art and traditional Italy, as well as a hotspot for all kind of watersports and hiking
• Consider a stop on your way from Rome to Tuscany or Umbria

1.  

Timeline Overview

• 04:06 Lake Bolsena – Europe’s largest volcanic lake
• 08:30 The Etruscan legacy – Italy’s earliest and unwritten history
• 19:36 Santa Cristina’s martyrdom and the reenactment festival
• 25:15 Home to the origins of the Corpus Christi celebrations
• 30:24 The Farnese legacy and influence
• 32:09 The restored island of Bisentina melds history and art

About our guest – Elena Ronca

Elena is a tour guide and hiking guide who has been working as a guide for almost 15 years. She was born and raised in the area of Lake Bolsena, and her whole family has always lived there. She started guiding hiking tours when she was still a student at the university. She graduated in 2012 as an interpreter in Russian and English but soon dropped that as a career path as she realized that what she really wanted to do was share her love and enthusiasm for her homeland!

Today, she works as a guide full-time and enjoys being a guide for Italian school kids and visitors from all over the English-speaking world! Since she is also – and firstly – an environmental guide, she loves itineraries where nature and art blend, and this corner of Italy is perfect for that. Here, you’ll find Medieval villages perched on rolling hills, historical villas surrounded by lush countryside, and ancient ruins hidden among the woods.

Follow Elena here

• Facebook
• Instagram

Italian places, foods and concepts mentioned

Places

• Tuscia – an area of Italy in Northern Lazio
• Lago di Bolsena (Bolsena Lake) – in the heart of Tuscia, the lake the largest volcanic lake in Europe
• Fiume Marta (Marta River) – the River that flows from Lake Bolsena into the Tyrrhenian Sea
• Tarquinia – Etruscan city in Lazio home to Etruscan tombs
• Sorano, Pitigliano, Saturnia – thermal towns with hot springs
• Lake Vico, Lake Bracciano, Lake Martignano and Lake Albano – lakes that are on the same line down from Lake Bolsena
• Lake Mezzano – Lago di Mezzano is a small lake just south west of Bolsena, near the border with Tuscany
• Bolsena, Capodimonte and Marta – the towns on Lake Bolsena itself
• Montefiascone – town on the south east side of Lake Bolsena with great views of the lake
• Grotte di Castro, Gradoli, Valentano, San Lorenzo Nuovo – other towns around the lake
• Via Francigena – well-known walking trail/camino stretching through Italy which historically was a pilgrimage
• Isola Martana (Martana Island) – private islands on Lake Bolsena
• Isola Bisentina (Bisentina Island) – private island with access to the public with many interesting chapels
• San Francesco, Monte Oliveto, Monte Tabor, San Gregorio, Monte Calvario, Santa Caterina and Santa Concordia – the 7 chapels on Bisentina island, some of which are in ruins whilst others housing treasures such as Rennaisance frescos

Food / Drink

• coregone – a fish from Lake Bolsena popular to eat in the area

Words / Concepts

• St Christina of Bolsena – Santa Cristina was a martyr from the 3rd century AD. There is a big festival to celebrate her on 23rd-24th July in Bolsena
• Pope Urban IV – Pope that was seated in Orvieto. Ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1261 to his death three years later
• Thomas Aquinas – who the pope appointed to write about the celebrations still known today as Corpus Christi
• Infiorata – a flower festival during the Corpus Christi celebrations where carpets of flowers are laid on the streets
• Alexander Farnese/Pope Paul III – Duke of Parma, an influential, important noble in the 1500s who became Pope
• Antonio da Sangallo the Younger – an architect from the Rennaisance period, also known as Antonio Cordiani
• Benozzo Gozzoli – Rennaisance painter from Florence

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