🌊 Lake Mezzano: A Hidden Treasure That Will Leave You Breathless

Giano di Vico
Aug 13
3 min read

🏞️ The Last Untouched Paradise in the Province of Viterbo

Amid gentle hills and borders that brush against Tuscany lies a small body of water that seems in no hurry: Lake Mezzano.

Of volcanic origin, it has miraculously remained untouched by concrete and modernity, preserving a primordial charm that takes you back four thousand years.

⏳ A Journey Through Time: From Prehistoric Pile Dwellings to Medieval Legends

📜 The

Lacus Statoniensis

of the Ancients

Historians identify the lake with the ancient Lacus Statoniensis, mentioned by Seneca and Pliny.

The name, “lake of constructions,” foreshadows the discovery of pile-dwelling villages now submerged.

🏺 The Discovery of 1972

Fate had it that Fortunato Sonno, while fishing, hooked two jars from the Bronze Age.

From there, in 1973, excavations began under Lamberto Ferri-Ricchi, bringing to light Mezzano I and Mezzano II: two underwater settlements located 3–12 meters deep.

💎 Submerged Treasures

Excavations have yielded artifacts dating from the 3rd millennium BC to the 12th century BC:

🏺 Ceramics of every shape and size
⚔️ Bronze objects: axes, swords, fibulae
🌳 Perfectly preserved wooden artifacts
✨ Two gilded ceremonial swords

Today, they can be admired at the Museum of Prehistory of the Tuscia and Rocca Farnese in Valentano.

🏰 The Mystery of Pia de’ Tolomei and the Lost Castle

On the western shore, amid the woods of Monte Rosso, rest the ruins of the Castle of Mezzano, of Lombard origin.

Legend has it that Pia de’ Tolomei, the noblewoman from Siena immortalized by Dante, was imprisoned and killed here:

“Ricorditi di me, che son la Pia / Siena mi fé, disfecemi Maremma.”

(“Remember me, I am Pia / Siena made me, Maremma unmade me.”)

🌳 The Oak of Miracles

1.5 km from the lake stands a monumental downy oak over 300 years old, 25 meters high and 5 meters in circumference.

Declared a natural monument by the WWF, it is one of the oldest trees in Lazio, a silent guardian of Etruscan memory.

🐦 A Sanctuary of Biodiversity

🦆 The Oasis of Water Birds

Among the reeds and willows live:

🐦 Water rails, coots, moorhens
🐟 Kingfishers
🪶 Herons of various species
🦅 The rare marsh harrier

🛡️ A Protected Ecosystem

Since 2013 it has been a Site of Community Interest (SCI), part of the Natura 2000 network, preserving unique habitats and species.

🚶 The Charm of Difficult Accessibility

No paved roads: to reach it, you must walk 2 km through fields and woods in the Latera Caldera.

This “inconvenience” is the secret that has saved it from mass tourism.

💧 Crystal-Clear Waters and Secrets of the Lakebed

🌋 A Perfect Crater

Surface area: 47.50 hectares
Diameter: 800 m
Depth: 36 m
Altitude: 452 m

The lake is fed only by springs and rainwater; its outflow is the Olpeta River.

🌦️ Changes Over Time

Research shows that the water level has changed over millennia due to climatic variations, submerging the settlements several times.

🕊️ A Sacred Place Since Antiquity

Located at the crossroads of Etruscan city-states, the area was rich in votive finds and probably hosted a Fanum dedicated to the Etruscan Mother Goddess.

It was part of a true “valley of temples” along with Sorgenti della Nova, Rofalco, and Crostoletto del Lamone.

🧭 Visiting Tips

📍 Start from Valentano and visit the museum
🚶‍♂️ Continue on foot along the SP 118
🌅 Visit early morning or at sunset
🎒 Bring comfortable shoes, binoculars, a camera, and respect for the environment