LAST VISITS TO MYSTICAL LAKE ISLAND
The Byzantine Island on Lake Bolsena (Lazio), the fifth biggest volcanic lake in Europe, will be open to visitors until the 9th November this year (2024). The island, which is privately owned, became accessible to the public only two years ago, after a long period when it was inaccessible. Present owners are the Rovati Family, owners of a noted pharmaceutical company, who have embarked on a long-neglected restoration project of the island's monuments.
This magical little island, which is ringed by a three-kilometer pathway through woodlands and rocky outcrops, was considered sacred by the Etruscans, who believed it was the entrance to the mythical underground kingdom of Agarthi. The name has nothing to do with the ancient name of Constatinople, but derives from “Visentum”, a Bromze Age village which stood on a rock on the shoreline opposite. It now contains the remains of a Franciscan monastery, a botanical garden and seven chapels, dating from the 15th century (at present under restoration), as well as the domed Church of St. James and St. Christopher, built by the then owners, the powerful Farnese family, as their family tomb.
Access to the island costs 25 euro, plus ticket for the ferry, which leave regularly from the towns of Capodimonte and Bolsena on the lake shore. Prior booking is necessary online at the island's official website:
Info: Tel. +39.347.348.3267 www.isolabisantina.org