🏝️ The Islands of Lake Bolsena: History, Mystery, and Legends

In the heart of Tuscia, two gems rise from the volcanic waters of Lake Bolsena: Isola Bisentina and Isola Martana. These islands are steeped in over two thousand years of history, mystery, and spiritual legacy.

🌳

Isola Bisentina

– The Majestic and Mysterious Jewel

🏛️ History and Ownership

• 📜 Inhabited since Etruscan and Roman times; archaeological finds include a pirogue (1989).

• 🔒 In 1261, Pope Urban IV renamed it Isola Urbana and used it as a prison for the Templars.

• 👑 Later owned by the Farnese family, becoming part of the Duchy of Castro.

• 🌸 Passed through noble families: Piatti, Spada Potenziani, Del Drago.

• 🏛️ Since 2017, owned by the Rovati family (founders of Rottapharm).

⛪ Seven Churches and Sacred Architecture

• Built by the Franciscan friars between the 15th and 16th centuries.

• Each faces a different village around the lake.

• The church of SS. Giacomo e Cristoforo, with a dome by Vignola, is visible from the mainland.

• The Rocchina by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger: a miniature Rocca Farnese.

• Frescoes by followers of Benozzo Gozzoli.

🔮 The “Malta of the Popes” – Esoteric Mystery

• An underground chamber carved into Mount Tabor.

• Possibly Etruscan in origin; used as a prison for heretical clergy.

• Described by Dante in Paradiso, Canto IX.

• In modern esotericism, believed to be an entrance to the mythical kingdom of Agarthi.

🎬 Film and Literature

Filming location for:

• La maschera by Fiorella Infascelli

• Le meraviglie by Alice Rohrwacher

• Stasera a casa di Alice by Carlo Verdone

• And more…

Also featured in the novel La natura è innocente by Walter Siti.

🍃 Biodiversity

Over 230 species of spontaneous and naturalized plants catalogued.

🌙

Isola Martana

– The Island of the Tragic Queen

📖 History and Ownership

• First mentioned in a document from 852 AD.

• In 1254, Count Guittone of Bisenzio claimed the title of podestà.

• After 1649, it returned to the Church.

• In the 1960s, purchased by the SAGIAR company.

• Today, privately owned by a Roman-Viterbo-based company.

👑 The Tragedy of Queen Amalasuntha

• In 535 AD, Amalasuntha, Ostrogothic queen, was assassinated here.

• Methods of death are debated: strangled, stabbed, drowned, or thrown from the cliffs.

• Her ghost is said to haunt the island on full moon nights.

• Local fishermen claim her cries are still heard during strong northern winds.

🛶 Legends and Submerged Paths

• A submerged stone road may have once linked the island to the mainland.

• The House of Tomao (via Amalasunta 106, Marta): believed to be the fisherman’s house who transported the queen.

🙏 Monastic Orders

Over the centuries, it hosted:

• Benedictines

• Augustinians

• Paolotti

• Minims of Saint Francis of Paola (1574–1690)

🗺️ Geography and Features

• Crescent-shaped; the visible tip of a submerged volcanic crater.

• North side: steep cliffs.

• South side: gentler slopes, oaks and olive trees.

⚓ Shared Curiosities

🏰 The Duchy of Castro

Both islands belonged to the Duchy of Castro, destroyed by Pope Innocent X in 1649.

On the ruins of the capital city, a single column was raised: “Hic Castrum fuit” (“Here stood Castro”).

🚢 Historical Navigation

In 1884, the first steamship – named Santa Cristina – sailed the lake. Owned by Giovanni Garassino, former owner of Bisentina.

🔒 Current Status

• Bisentina: now open to the public thanks to the Rovati family.

• Martana: closed, visitable only with special permission.

• Tour boats from Capodimonte and Bolsena can circle both islands.

✨ Conclusion

The islands of Lake Bolsena offer a rare blend of nature, mysticism, history, and legend. They are timeless sentinels in the lake’s calm waters, echoing the stories of Popes, queens, monks, and ancient civilizations.