Trasimeno Lake

A lake set among the gentle hills of Umbria, Trasimeno Lake is the largest area of inland water in the Italian peninsula and the fourth largest lake in Italy, but it is not very deep (its depth varies between 10 and 20 ft). There are three islands on the lake: Isola Polvese, Isola Maggiore and Isola Minore. Lake Trasimeno and its surrounding lands were once part of the Etruscan domains. Remains of this civilisation are still visible today, particularly in the area around Castiglione del Lago. The area was later colonised by the Romans, who had a profound influence on the lake. With their extraordinary engineering skills, the Romans in fact built the first regulated outlet from the lake to control the water level and avoid flooding. But the clearest traces of past civilisations that remain to us today are from the Middle Ages, when a series of castles and fortified towns sprang up in the surrounding hills.

A picture made of lake and hilly landscapes completed by some human activities characterizing them, and at the same time an irreplaceable rest place for the migratory avifauna (shoreline is thick with reeds). and a vital place for some important fish species. It is the unmistakable historical landscape reproduced in the paintings by several 15th century artists.