Bolsena
Bolzena Lake

Towns on the banks of lake Bolsena, the largest volcanic lake in Italy

– an easy one day tour - better avoiding weekends

Bolzena - Lago di Bolsena - Tuscia

You have hardly left Acquapendente: after a few minutes you will reach the little town of San Lorenzo with its charming oval piazza. A few more meters ahead and you will have the most beautiful view down on the crater lake of Bolsena in all its splendour, surrounded by old extinct volcanoes. One should now, slowly, drive down the few kilometres to Bolsena and enjoy the magnificent views offered again and again. The magic continues all the way down to the shore where at Bolsena a charming promenade awaits us with plane trees and cafes, best suited to underline the refreshing impression the lake in front of us is making. In case you decide to first see the town, do not turn right to the lake but carry on until you see on your left the remarkable market place (Piazza Matteotti). From here again you will have a splendid view down on the blue lake, almost focussed by the shiny plane tree ally.Back again to the Piazza: on your left you will have the old Borgo with its gate that leads up to the fortress. Should you instead turn right you will get to a charming narrow street where you will find beautiful shops and places to have a snack.
"Bolsena: an important Etruscan town on the banks of the largest volcanic lake in Italy, on whose shores were found the remains of a settlement from the beginning of the middle age of bronze (XVI-XV centuries b.C). Bolsena was, in the centuries, Etruscan, Roman, Longobard, Papal, Orvietan and then Papal again from 1471.

Of all this there are uncountable memories, beginning with the many archaeological areas. The Monaldeschi castle dominates the town; it was built between 1200 and 1300 and now hosts the territorial museum of lake Bolsena. In Bolsena took place one of the most venerated miracles in the Christian world: the miracle of Corpus Domini, later painted by Raffaello.
The miracle took place in Santa Cristina Church, built in 1077 on a network of catacombs, partly still unexplored."
The miracle of “corpus Christi” is referred back to the year 1263 when a priest, full of doubts, offered the host to the believers and saw blood dropping from it.