Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
square. The small town is a very pretty place for a wander, with views opening out across
the lake below.
LAGO ALBANO
Close to Castel Gandolfo, this great azure expanse is simply glorious for a summer swim,
and cafes and boating-hire places dot its banks. Filling two volcanic craters, the lake is
about 3.5km by 2.3km.
LAKE
NEMI
The town of Nemi is perched high above Lago di Nemi, the smaller of the two volcanic
lakes in the Castelli Romani. This area was the centre of a cult to the goddess Diana in an-
cient times and a favourite holiday spot of the emperor Caligula. Today it's a popular get-
away from Rome and famous for its wild strawberries, best eaten in the early summer.
There's a great little museum here, the
Museo delle Navi Romani
(Via Diana 15; currently closed for
renovation)
on the shore of the lake. This was built by Mussolini to house two incredibly pre-
served wooden Roman boats, dating from Caligula's reign, that were discovered and
salvaged from the lake in 1932. These were tragically destroyed by fire in 1944 - what
you see now are scale models.
TOWN
