Lazio :: Tuscia
Lake Bolsena provides beaches for lazing or picnics, a wide range of water sports, spectacular drives around it, and two thriving little towns. Bolsena on the northern shore of the volcanic lake, has a museum full of Etruscan relics, a fine medieval castle, some picturesque alleys, and two early churches, 13th century San Francesco and 11th century Santa Cristina, best remembered for a miracle which occurred during a mass held in 1263, when the host dripped blood onto the altar cloth and marble floor, subsequently giving rise to the festival of Corpus Christi. Capodimonte, on the southern shore is also attractive, with beaches and boat trips to Isola Bisentina where there are Etruscan tombs, early frescoed chapels, and one of the many Farnese villas of this area.
This region was the heartland of the flourishing and cultivated Etruscan civilisation, later overrun by the Romans. To the south is Viterbo, with its papal palace from the middle ages, and the Tarquinian necropolis at Tarquinia. To the west Sorano and Pitigliano, of medieval importance and interest, are picturesquely striking up on their hills.
Orvieto, to the east, is the site of one of Italy's greatest cathedrals, with a stunningly sumptuous façade it has earned the nickname, the 'Golden Lily of Cathedrals'. As you approach you are struck by the dazzling technicolour hues of its mosaics, and by the richness and beauty of the sculptural detail. The remarkable design and execution of the celebrated bas-reliefs on the lower pilasters recount the story of the Creation to the Last Judgement, a Bible in stone that captures the essence of the stories with vivid drama and detail.
