Places to see in ( Perugia - Italy ) Lake Trasimeno
Places to see in ( Perugia - Italy ) Lake Trasimeno
Lake Trasimeno, also referred to as Trasimene or Thrasimene in English, is a lake in the province of Perugia, in the Umbria region of Italy. The lake is south of the river Po and north of the nearby river Tiber, has a surface area of 128 km2 (49.4 sq mi) and is the fourth for surface area in Italy. (It is slightly smaller than Lake Como.) Only two minor streams flow directly into the Lake and none flows out. The water level of the lake fluctuates significantly according to rainfall levels and the seasonal demands from the towns, villages and farms near the shore.
Trasimeno is shallow, muddy, and rich in fish, including pike, carp, and tench. During the last 10 years it has been 5 meters deep, on average. Lake Trasimeno is an endorheic body of water; it is an impounded lake that receives water but has no outlet. Other endorheic bodies of water include the Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Utah's Great Salt Lake, and the Dead Sea. Evaporation can lead to a buildup of minerals in the water, resulting in saline conditions, making these lakes sensitive to pressures from pollution.
Half of Trasimeno is surrounded by hills, rich in olives that are an important agricultural resource. On the western shore, near Tuscany, there are vineyards, and fruit and vegetables are grown. The hills are much lower and the climate is warmer. Monte Subasio near Assisi, about 70 km (43 mi) to the east, and Monte Amiata, about 70 km (43 mi) to the west, can be seen. The vegetation includes pines, willows and poplars around the shores, many over 30 m tall.
There are three islands in the lake. The largest of these islands is Isola Polvese, almost 1 km2. 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 14th century.
Maggiore is a 'hill', whereas Polvese is a more complex structure with plains and hills, and Minore resembles a sloped table. Minore is now uninhabited, but in the past had a village with over 500 residents. Many centuries ago, a castle with a pentagonal structure stood near the shore, near an Olivetan monastery. The castle still remains, and the ruins of the church and the monastery are almost totally preserved, despite the abandonment in the 17th century due to malaria. The malaria was eradicated only in the 1950s. There were other problems, since Trasimeno was fought over by Chiusi, Panicale, Perugia, and Florence.
There are castles all around Trasimeno, many in the center of small towns while others are isolated and in ruins. Castiglione del Lago, Passignano, Magione, Maggiore, and Polvese islands all have castles, while Zocco castle, Montali castle, and others are on hilltops.
The Guglielmi castle in Maggiore Isle was built in the late 19th century on the foundation of an old Franciscan church, and for many years was a popular place in the Trasimeno area. Until 1998 it was still visitable, then it was closed because the structure became dangerously unstable. It is now being restored by a new proprietor, but the work is far from completed.
Between Monte del Lago and S.Feliciano is Zocco castle, ruined for decades. It is privately owned but unmaintained. It is one of the biggest castles of the area and the only one that, inside its sandstone walls, has a still untouched medieval keep. Some years ago it was probably inhabited, as there is a building fitted with a TV antenna, but now its only entry is closed. The best-preserved parts are the eastern and the southern walls, increasingly endangered because the wall's faults are enlarging. The rest of the walls are mostly demolished or have fallen down. One of the southern towers has two enormous cracks in the middle.
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