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EspañolLAKE TRASIMENO
(Redirected from Lake Trasimene)
'Lake Trasimeno' or 'Trasimene' (in Italian: 'Lago Trasimeno'), is the largest lake in peninsular Italy with a surface area of 128 km², just slightly less than that of Lake Como. The River Tiber flows past some thirty kilometers to the east of the lake, but the lake and the river are separated by hills: no major river flows directly into nor out of Lake Trasimeno, and the water level fluctuates significantly according to rainfall levels and the seasonal demands from the small towns, villages and agricultural enterprises dotted round the shore.
Trasimeno had a tectonic origin. 3 millions years ago, there was still shallow sea in this part of Umbria. Then, a depression formed by geologic fractures, allowed the born of Trasimeno lake, thousand years ago.
Historically, Trasimeno was known as The lake of Perugia and this name makes it easy to understand the importance that the lake has always had for the whole of north-western Umbria and for the Tuscan Chiana district. In prehistoric times, this lake was much more extended, and almost reached Perugia. Trasimeno is a mythological figure, joined in the myth with Agilla, a nymph born in a place called actually Agello, now an hill that is at midway between Perugia and Trasimeno, but thousand years ago it was still an isle. A significant battle, the Battle of Lake Trasimeno, took place on the north shore of the lake in April 217 B.C. during the Second Punic War. It's still debated where happened exactly, because the lake was much extended and depth at those times, so Between Cortona and Tuoro it could had been fought. A place near Cortona is called 'Ossaia',perhaps to remember the remains found after that battle. Many legends were told about this battle during the centuries, as the golden chariot of Flaminio, sunk in the middle of the lake.
Etrurians were the first civilization of this place, and it's said that they found Trasimeno similar in shape to a liver. The Etrurian presence in the zone is no surprising, because the lake was once much bigger, and Perugia, Chiusi and Cortona, three of the main Etrurian cities, are all within 20km from the actual lake. Romans became later. Practically nothing is conserved of Etrurian period, and only some traces of roman presence are found. Castiglione del lago, as example has some ruins of roman period and a structure of the center that resemble, with the main streets structured as chessboard, their architectonic style.
Trasimeno is surrounded for half of its shores by hills, rich in olives that are among the most important resources of the local agriculture. There are also (in the western shores, near to Toscana) vineyards, and many types of fruit and vegetables. There, the hills are much lower and the climate is warmer. It's possible to see without any problem Subasio mountain (near Assisi) and Amiata, both around 70km away (one at East and the second at West).
The vegetation includes pines, willows and many poplars all around the shores, with many of considerable dimensions and fairness, even over 30m tall. Eleuteri ex-airport is enriched by many of the bigger trees of the zone, both pines and poplars.
The main shore cities, all quite small, are Passignano sul Trasimeno, Tuoro, Monte del Lago, Torricella, S.Feliciano, S.Arcangelo, Castiglione del Lago and Borghetto. Castiglione del Lago has the longest shores, even longer than Passignano, because it's historical center is a peninsula, the only real one of the lake. There were rumors that this was once the fourth isle of the lake, joined to the shores by Romans, but it's sure that at least in prehistoric times it was an isle of the lake, much greater than it's actually.
All around the lake there is an array of old small town, but also isolated castles, like Zocco castle, now in ruins, and a pending tower near Passignano. Monte del lago is the center originally built to control the way from Trasimeno to Perugia and still it's a small medieval center of around 300m diameter, mounted over a low hill.
One of the features of Trasimeno lake is the local airport, the Eleuteri near C.Lago, once one of the main aviation schools in Italy, with elegant, bigs and old fashion buildings, until it was destroyed by Germans in retreat during the battles fought in summer 1944.
Once this airport was almost as big as Castiglione, that 70 years ago was only a small historical center, while actually is extended for kilometers all around, almost including the airport. The mild climate and the perfect visibility allow still the use of this airport for air meetings, even if the structures were leaved in ruins in the late 60 years. There is only a social center in this ex-airport, also crossed by one of the most important water courses, the Paganico torrent, that separated airport from the town.
Even before this airport there was an hidroscale in C.Lago. On the opposite shore, in Passignano, around 10km away, there was also an historical airplane Italian farm, the SAI Ambrosini, now abandoned as industrial center, but used as social center. It was founded around 80 years ago and the buildings are still present near Passignano station. This industry made several types of aircraft, also projected there, by eng. Sergio Stefanutti.
The test of the land aircrafts were made in Eleuteri airport, only few kilometers away from this factory, easing the production that nevertheless was never one of the most important in the various costellation of Italian air industries. SAI was involved mainly with Macchi, at least during World War II. In Eleuteri there were even more than 100 aircraft at once, and it was also used as test center for Siai SS.4, advanced canard aircrafts, that was destroyed in the second flight.
As communication structures, Trasimeno is far away from every major Italian city, the nearest of them is Perugia. There is an historic railway made over 100 years ago, and the main rail station is Terontola, near Trasimeno, but in Tuscan territory. Many minor railstation are present in Passignano and C.Lago.
To face the increment of traffic, around 30 years ago an highway was built overriding the Passignano's street to Perugia, this highway pass near the north and the east coast of Trasimeno and goes to Perugia and Assisi. An array of minor and main streets, as the statal 75, are also present, especially in the western side.
The services for the travels in the isles (except Minore) are made with ferry boats, 3 smalls, 2 medium and two big (two decks) called Perusia and Agilla II, based in Passignano Port, in fact the main 'naval base' of Trasimeno, with also two dredges. There are ports also in Castiglione del Lago (recently totall rebuild), S.Arcangelo, S.Feliciano, Tuoro and several minor anchorages.
There are three islands in the lake. The second largest, Isola Maggiore, is the only inhabited one. The small fishing village, which reached its height in the 14th century, today has only around thirty residents. Most of the buildings, including the ruins of a Franciscan monastery, date from the 1300s. The bigger of all these isles is Isola Polvese, almost 1 km², that has a different profile than Maggiore.
Maggiore is a 'hill', while Polvese is a more complex structure with planes and hills (Minore is a sort of sloped table). It is now inhabited, but in the past there was a village inhabited by over 500 residents. It was many century ago, when there was a castle (pentagonal structure) near the shore, and a Olivetan monastery. Still remains the castle, ruins of the church and the monastery almost totally conserved, despite it was abandoned in the XVII century, because, officially, the bad climate and malaria. This latter plague was finally doomed only in the '50s of the XX century. In truth there were many problems, because Trasimeno was contended by Chiusi, Panicale, Perugia and Florence.
Troops of this latter devastated Polvese Isle in XVII century, so started the decadence of this place, until the XIX century when there was only a guardian. Actually of the many houses once present there nothing remains in the surface. Also Minore Isle, near Maggiore, is now inhabited, totally covered by local vegetation except a little anchorage. In ancient times,there was a neat separation between the two communities, because Polvese was quite away from Maggiore-Minore. It is rumoured that the two communities fought some wars against one each other. But the real problems were from the regional 'powers' that contended this lake for centuries.
The fishing in the isles was make with particular techniques, called 'Toro', with a very complex system that consisted to trow in the water wood fascines, and then build a circular structure to hold the web all around this trap, where fishes were attracted by the artificial 'house' build by fishers. Then in a day of work the webs trapped the fishes and they were sent at the village, where were dried. This system functioned with high levels reached by the lake, but was abandoned when the level lowered. A complete mock up of this system was built several years ago and still is visible near Polvese Isle's port.
Waters of Trasimeno were always quite shallow, muddy, rich of fishes (pike, carp, tench), but the shallow waters allowed also the mosquitoes and malaria to prosper.
To fight this problem there was also a biologic introduction, some little fishes imported from USA during '50s, that are voracious of mosquitoes larvae. These little fishes are still widely diffused even in the sport lakes near Trasimeno. But despite billions larvae eaten, still in the summer there is a noticeable abundance of mosquitoes and other insects.
As the Trasimeno waters, their quality is still very good, as a misuration of Italia Nostra showed in 2005. The lack of big farms and a population not too numerous allows still a low level of pollution. This is obtained despite there is no emissary active in Trasimeno, only an artificial channel near S.Arcangelo.
In its history Trasimeno has known many crisis. This lake has actually an average of only 4 meter depth, less than a 1/1000 than the diameter (paragonable to an ocean on this side). It was even proposed to dry it to solve the problems made by malaria and levels changes, but luckily they were rejected. At the end of XIX century, the 'final' solution was made with the channel built near S.Feliciano. This allowed to control the lakes level, lowering it when necessary and eliminating partially malaria.
Lather, in the last 100 years many things were happened with its waters.
In 1929 there was a real cold winter, that totally iced the surface, so even cars could be driven over the ice. It was rumored that a car, for mistake (because the snow), reached even Maggiore Isle, effectively near Tuoro and Passignano (less than 1 km by the first of the two, all the three isles are placed near the shores, with the central part freed by every isle). Also in 1957 there was a cold winter, and still the Trasimeno's surface froze and heavy damages to olives all around. In 1985 another very cold winter iced Trasimeno (and olives as well) for over 20 days. A less spectacular glaciation happened in 1991. In 2002 there was another icing of the waters, during a winter very cold and dry at the same time. Finally, a strong eastern wind blew the surfaces until the ice was wrecked, over 30 days from the beginning of this phenomenon (end of 2001), very rare given the latitude of this lake.
The Trasimeno climate is quite warm, with moderate cold winters. Summers can be very warm and humid, but in general the lake moderates the excess of climate both in cold and warm conditions even if the swallow water gives a moderate thermical inertia. In may the temperature becomes enough hot to allow baths and it's so until September.
Trasimeno is surrounded, in the east coast by quite high hills and, more distant, mountains, that often helps to 'capture' rain when there are perturbations, and cover partially the lake from the cold eastern winds. But it's likely that the most part of the water that goes to the lake comes from the wide web of channels coming even from Chiusi, in the western side of the lake.
The real problem of Trasimeno is the water scarcity. After the second war it had a serious crisis and its shores retreated for around a km in the western sector (the eastern coast have bottoms much more deeps and sloped). In the beginnings of '70s another crisis involved the lake, with another retreat almost as consistent. After a period of abundance, from 1990 (when happened the first modern crisis) the lake had a worrying water's level, quite low. In 2003 there was another, heavy crisis, with a shores retreat of over 100m and the level fallen at -128cm respect the hidrometrical zero. The main reason of this is the lack of rain. In 2004-2006 even the summer period had been, instead, plenty of rain (over 150mm in the last 20 days of August 2005 alone, with over 700mm until the end of year), but in 2006 again, the fall and winter have been almost totally dry, with a relatively hot climate. Almost all Italy had this problem in this period, and only in spring some perturbations sent some appreciable rain, but still highly insufficient. Despite this, the abundance of water that joined Trasimeno in the last 3 years has saved the lake by heavier consequences. Actually a new channel is in construction to abduct water to the lake, that has an hidric captation area too small for its size.
Also antropic activities are involved in this problem, it was even calculated that the mais cultivation alone was equivalent, in a year, to 5cm of level, that means 1% of the overall. Actually the mais cultivation is much redimensioned. The considerable growth of the inhabited centers in the last 5-6 years all around obviously require more water, and there are artificial lakes all around, for agriculture purposes, many of noticeable dimensions, that are an additional problem for hidric resources of the lake.
Trasimeno has all the characteristics of a great natural resource that should be rigorously protected and promoted for purposes compatible with its preservation. The inhabitants of the communes around Trasimeno and the Umbrian people have all, despite a wealth of difficulties, been successful in safeguarding their lake, whose waters are constantly fit for swimming and whose valleys and islands are intact territorial environments, therefore providing a mirror of a millenary past and a theme for a present suited to discovering a new means for man to interrelate with his habitats.
To better preserve that particular and also vulnerable, around in 1995 was constituted a natural park over all the surface and the shores. Lather, a cycle way was opened in 2003 all around that shores to allow tourists to explore the nature of the place. The overall length is around 50km. Also all around the lake there are cross country ways to explore these places, especially over the hills in the eastern side.
There are many castles all around the Trasimeno's shores. Many of them are the center of small cities while others are isolated and in ruins. Castiglione del Lago, Passignano, Magione, Maggiore and Polvese isles have all one castle, while others are Zocco Castle and others.
The Guglielmi Castle in Maggiore Isle is not an ancient one, it was built in late '800 with the basis on an old Franciscan church still present, and for many years was a rich and very well frequented place in the Trasimeno's zone. Lying in ruins for long time in the last decades, until 1998 it was still visitable, then it was closed because the structures became dangerous. Now is restored by a new proprietor, but the work is far to be completed.
Between Monte del Lago and S.Feliciano there is this old castle, from decades in ruins. It is a private one, but sadly nobody cares about his maintenance now. This is also one of the biggest castles of the zone and the only one that, inside his sandstone walls, has an still untouched medieval center. Some years ago it was likely inhabited, as an building fitted with an TV antenna shows, but now it only entry is steadily closed.
The best conserved part is the eastern and the southern (here illustrated) one, while the rest of the walls are mainly demolished or fallen down. Also one of the southern towers has two enormous faults with the middle in a very tight equilibrium.
★ Lake Trasimeno
★ Lake Trasimeno 2
★ Lake Trasimeno 3
★ PDF file about climatic changes and Lake Trasimeno
★ Lake Trasimeno and hidrology
★ Trasimeno hidrometric level
★ Trasimeno recent idrometric changes
★ Trasimeno recent hidrometric level changes-2
'Lake Trasimeno' or 'Trasimene' (in Italian: 'Lago Trasimeno'), is the largest lake in peninsular Italy with a surface area of 128 km², just slightly less than that of Lake Como. The River Tiber flows past some thirty kilometers to the east of the lake, but the lake and the river are separated by hills: no major river flows directly into nor out of Lake Trasimeno, and the water level fluctuates significantly according to rainfall levels and the seasonal demands from the small towns, villages and agricultural enterprises dotted round the shore.
| Contents |
| Origins and early history |
| Trasimeno's zone |
| Trasimeno's aviation history |
| Communications |
| Isles |
| Trasimeno itself |
| Trasimeno's castles |
| External links |
Origins and early history
Trasimeno had a tectonic origin. 3 millions years ago, there was still shallow sea in this part of Umbria. Then, a depression formed by geologic fractures, allowed the born of Trasimeno lake, thousand years ago.
Historically, Trasimeno was known as The lake of Perugia and this name makes it easy to understand the importance that the lake has always had for the whole of north-western Umbria and for the Tuscan Chiana district. In prehistoric times, this lake was much more extended, and almost reached Perugia. Trasimeno is a mythological figure, joined in the myth with Agilla, a nymph born in a place called actually Agello, now an hill that is at midway between Perugia and Trasimeno, but thousand years ago it was still an isle. A significant battle, the Battle of Lake Trasimeno, took place on the north shore of the lake in April 217 B.C. during the Second Punic War. It's still debated where happened exactly, because the lake was much extended and depth at those times, so Between Cortona and Tuoro it could had been fought. A place near Cortona is called 'Ossaia',perhaps to remember the remains found after that battle. Many legends were told about this battle during the centuries, as the golden chariot of Flaminio, sunk in the middle of the lake.
Etrurians were the first civilization of this place, and it's said that they found Trasimeno similar in shape to a liver. The Etrurian presence in the zone is no surprising, because the lake was once much bigger, and Perugia, Chiusi and Cortona, three of the main Etrurian cities, are all within 20km from the actual lake. Romans became later. Practically nothing is conserved of Etrurian period, and only some traces of roman presence are found. Castiglione del lago, as example has some ruins of roman period and a structure of the center that resemble, with the main streets structured as chessboard, their architectonic style.
Trasimeno's zone
Trasimeno is surrounded for half of its shores by hills, rich in olives that are among the most important resources of the local agriculture. There are also (in the western shores, near to Toscana) vineyards, and many types of fruit and vegetables. There, the hills are much lower and the climate is warmer. It's possible to see without any problem Subasio mountain (near Assisi) and Amiata, both around 70km away (one at East and the second at West).
The vegetation includes pines, willows and many poplars all around the shores, with many of considerable dimensions and fairness, even over 30m tall. Eleuteri ex-airport is enriched by many of the bigger trees of the zone, both pines and poplars.
The main shore cities, all quite small, are Passignano sul Trasimeno, Tuoro, Monte del Lago, Torricella, S.Feliciano, S.Arcangelo, Castiglione del Lago and Borghetto. Castiglione del Lago has the longest shores, even longer than Passignano, because it's historical center is a peninsula, the only real one of the lake. There were rumors that this was once the fourth isle of the lake, joined to the shores by Romans, but it's sure that at least in prehistoric times it was an isle of the lake, much greater than it's actually.
All around the lake there is an array of old small town, but also isolated castles, like Zocco castle, now in ruins, and a pending tower near Passignano. Monte del lago is the center originally built to control the way from Trasimeno to Perugia and still it's a small medieval center of around 300m diameter, mounted over a low hill.
Trasimeno's aviation history
One of the features of Trasimeno lake is the local airport, the Eleuteri near C.Lago, once one of the main aviation schools in Italy, with elegant, bigs and old fashion buildings, until it was destroyed by Germans in retreat during the battles fought in summer 1944.
Once this airport was almost as big as Castiglione, that 70 years ago was only a small historical center, while actually is extended for kilometers all around, almost including the airport. The mild climate and the perfect visibility allow still the use of this airport for air meetings, even if the structures were leaved in ruins in the late 60 years. There is only a social center in this ex-airport, also crossed by one of the most important water courses, the Paganico torrent, that separated airport from the town.
How SIAI born in 1916 is explained there, in the front of the factory
The buildings, now social centers.
Even before this airport there was an hidroscale in C.Lago. On the opposite shore, in Passignano, around 10km away, there was also an historical airplane Italian farm, the SAI Ambrosini, now abandoned as industrial center, but used as social center. It was founded around 80 years ago and the buildings are still present near Passignano station. This industry made several types of aircraft, also projected there, by eng. Sergio Stefanutti.
Even more than 200 aircraft are present in every edition of the airshow, all light machines, since the terrain is only grass-covered
Eleuteri and behind,C.Lago
Communications
As communication structures, Trasimeno is far away from every major Italian city, the nearest of them is Perugia. There is an historic railway made over 100 years ago, and the main rail station is Terontola, near Trasimeno, but in Tuscan territory. Many minor railstation are present in Passignano and C.Lago.
To face the increment of traffic, around 30 years ago an highway was built overriding the Passignano's street to Perugia, this highway pass near the north and the east coast of Trasimeno and goes to Perugia and Assisi. An array of minor and main streets, as the statal 75, are also present, especially in the western side.
The services for the travels in the isles (except Minore) are made with ferry boats, 3 smalls, 2 medium and two big (two decks) called Perusia and Agilla II, based in Passignano Port, in fact the main 'naval base' of Trasimeno, with also two dredges. There are ports also in Castiglione del Lago (recently totall rebuild), S.Arcangelo, S.Feliciano, Tuoro and several minor anchorages.
Isles
There are three islands in the lake. The second largest, Isola Maggiore, is the only inhabited one. The small fishing village, which reached its height in the 14th century, today has only around thirty residents. Most of the buildings, including the ruins of a Franciscan monastery, date from the 1300s. The bigger of all these isles is Isola Polvese, almost 1 km², that has a different profile than Maggiore.
Maggiore, Minore and Perusia ferryboat, seen by an hill cultivated with olives
Maggiore is a 'hill', while Polvese is a more complex structure with planes and hills (Minore is a sort of sloped table). It is now inhabited, but in the past there was a village inhabited by over 500 residents. It was many century ago, when there was a castle (pentagonal structure) near the shore, and a Olivetan monastery. Still remains the castle, ruins of the church and the monastery almost totally conserved, despite it was abandoned in the XVII century, because, officially, the bad climate and malaria. This latter plague was finally doomed only in the '50s of the XX century. In truth there were many problems, because Trasimeno was contended by Chiusi, Panicale, Perugia and Florence.
Polvese seen by C.Lago
Troops of this latter devastated Polvese Isle in XVII century, so started the decadence of this place, until the XIX century when there was only a guardian. Actually of the many houses once present there nothing remains in the surface. Also Minore Isle, near Maggiore, is now inhabited, totally covered by local vegetation except a little anchorage. In ancient times,there was a neat separation between the two communities, because Polvese was quite away from Maggiore-Minore. It is rumoured that the two communities fought some wars against one each other. But the real problems were from the regional 'powers' that contended this lake for centuries.
The fishing in the isles was make with particular techniques, called 'Toro', with a very complex system that consisted to trow in the water wood fascines, and then build a circular structure to hold the web all around this trap, where fishes were attracted by the artificial 'house' build by fishers. Then in a day of work the webs trapped the fishes and they were sent at the village, where were dried. This system functioned with high levels reached by the lake, but was abandoned when the level lowered. A complete mock up of this system was built several years ago and still is visible near Polvese Isle's port.
Trasimeno itself
Waters of Trasimeno were always quite shallow, muddy, rich of fishes (pike, carp, tench), but the shallow waters allowed also the mosquitoes and malaria to prosper.
To fight this problem there was also a biologic introduction, some little fishes imported from USA during '50s, that are voracious of mosquitoes larvae. These little fishes are still widely diffused even in the sport lakes near Trasimeno. But despite billions larvae eaten, still in the summer there is a noticeable abundance of mosquitoes and other insects.
A 7 m fishing boat, a big one compared to the norm
As the Trasimeno waters, their quality is still very good, as a misuration of Italia Nostra showed in 2005. The lack of big farms and a population not too numerous allows still a low level of pollution. This is obtained despite there is no emissary active in Trasimeno, only an artificial channel near S.Arcangelo.
In its history Trasimeno has known many crisis. This lake has actually an average of only 4 meter depth, less than a 1/1000 than the diameter (paragonable to an ocean on this side). It was even proposed to dry it to solve the problems made by malaria and levels changes, but luckily they were rejected. At the end of XIX century, the 'final' solution was made with the channel built near S.Feliciano. This allowed to control the lakes level, lowering it when necessary and eliminating partially malaria.
Lather, in the last 100 years many things were happened with its waters.
In 1929 there was a real cold winter, that totally iced the surface, so even cars could be driven over the ice. It was rumored that a car, for mistake (because the snow), reached even Maggiore Isle, effectively near Tuoro and Passignano (less than 1 km by the first of the two, all the three isles are placed near the shores, with the central part freed by every isle). Also in 1957 there was a cold winter, and still the Trasimeno's surface froze and heavy damages to olives all around. In 1985 another very cold winter iced Trasimeno (and olives as well) for over 20 days. A less spectacular glaciation happened in 1991. In 2002 there was another icing of the waters, during a winter very cold and dry at the same time. Finally, a strong eastern wind blew the surfaces until the ice was wrecked, over 30 days from the beginning of this phenomenon (end of 2001), very rare given the latitude of this lake.
The Trasimeno climate is quite warm, with moderate cold winters. Summers can be very warm and humid, but in general the lake moderates the excess of climate both in cold and warm conditions even if the swallow water gives a moderate thermical inertia. In may the temperature becomes enough hot to allow baths and it's so until September.
Trasimeno is surrounded, in the east coast by quite high hills and, more distant, mountains, that often helps to 'capture' rain when there are perturbations, and cover partially the lake from the cold eastern winds. But it's likely that the most part of the water that goes to the lake comes from the wide web of channels coming even from Chiusi, in the western side of the lake.
Trees remains in the Trasimeno's shores. They were planted when the lake was much lower and lather on died when waters raised
The real problem of Trasimeno is the water scarcity. After the second war it had a serious crisis and its shores retreated for around a km in the western sector (the eastern coast have bottoms much more deeps and sloped). In the beginnings of '70s another crisis involved the lake, with another retreat almost as consistent. After a period of abundance, from 1990 (when happened the first modern crisis) the lake had a worrying water's level, quite low. In 2003 there was another, heavy crisis, with a shores retreat of over 100m and the level fallen at -128cm respect the hidrometrical zero. The main reason of this is the lack of rain. In 2004-2006 even the summer period had been, instead, plenty of rain (over 150mm in the last 20 days of August 2005 alone, with over 700mm until the end of year), but in 2006 again, the fall and winter have been almost totally dry, with a relatively hot climate. Almost all Italy had this problem in this period, and only in spring some perturbations sent some appreciable rain, but still highly insufficient. Despite this, the abundance of water that joined Trasimeno in the last 3 years has saved the lake by heavier consequences. Actually a new channel is in construction to abduct water to the lake, that has an hidric captation area too small for its size.
Also antropic activities are involved in this problem, it was even calculated that the mais cultivation alone was equivalent, in a year, to 5cm of level, that means 1% of the overall. Actually the mais cultivation is much redimensioned. The considerable growth of the inhabited centers in the last 5-6 years all around obviously require more water, and there are artificial lakes all around, for agriculture purposes, many of noticeable dimensions, that are an additional problem for hidric resources of the lake.
Trasimeno has all the characteristics of a great natural resource that should be rigorously protected and promoted for purposes compatible with its preservation. The inhabitants of the communes around Trasimeno and the Umbrian people have all, despite a wealth of difficulties, been successful in safeguarding their lake, whose waters are constantly fit for swimming and whose valleys and islands are intact territorial environments, therefore providing a mirror of a millenary past and a theme for a present suited to discovering a new means for man to interrelate with his habitats.
To better preserve that particular and also vulnerable, around in 1995 was constituted a natural park over all the surface and the shores. Lather, a cycle way was opened in 2003 all around that shores to allow tourists to explore the nature of the place. The overall length is around 50km. Also all around the lake there are cross country ways to explore these places, especially over the hills in the eastern side.
Trasimeno's castles
There are many castles all around the Trasimeno's shores. Many of them are the center of small cities while others are isolated and in ruins. Castiglione del Lago, Passignano, Magione, Maggiore and Polvese isles have all one castle, while others are Zocco Castle and others.
Maggiore Castle, now in ruins
The Guglielmi Castle in Maggiore Isle is not an ancient one, it was built in late '800 with the basis on an old Franciscan church still present, and for many years was a rich and very well frequented place in the Trasimeno's zone. Lying in ruins for long time in the last decades, until 1998 it was still visitable, then it was closed because the structures became dangerous. Now is restored by a new proprietor, but the work is far to be completed.
The ruins of Zocco castle
Between Monte del Lago and S.Feliciano there is this old castle, from decades in ruins. It is a private one, but sadly nobody cares about his maintenance now. This is also one of the biggest castles of the zone and the only one that, inside his sandstone walls, has an still untouched medieval center. Some years ago it was likely inhabited, as an building fitted with an TV antenna shows, but now it only entry is steadily closed.
The best conserved part is the eastern and the southern (here illustrated) one, while the rest of the walls are mainly demolished or fallen down. Also one of the southern towers has two enormous faults with the middle in a very tight equilibrium.
External links
★ Lake Trasimeno
★ Lake Trasimeno 2
★ Lake Trasimeno 3
★ PDF file about climatic changes and Lake Trasimeno
★ Lake Trasimeno and hidrology
★ Trasimeno hidrometric level
★ Trasimeno recent idrometric changes
★ Trasimeno recent hidrometric level changes-2
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