An unspoilt paradise, with fertile countryside, friendly people, ancient ruins and charming medieval towns, Bolsena is a 'miraculous' lake in the Tuscia area between Rome and Tuscany, dotted with enchanting towns that dominate the path of the Etruscans. Rarely overcrowded, and abundant with beautiful black volcanic sands, it is the largest and cleanest volcanic lake in Europe, with crystal clear waters that teem with fish and lap against fine sandy beaches. A jewel in the heart of Italy, only three villages occupy Lake Bolsena’s 30-mile shoreline, the largest and loveliest being Bolsena itself. Once the Etruscan settlement of Volsini and medieval town of miracles, today the lake and town are best known for a miracle that occurred in medieval times in 1263 — The Miracle of Bolsena. Lake Bolsena is mentioned by Pliny in his Naturalis Historia: the setting for the dramatic incident of Sainte Christine, who was martyred under the Emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the IV century. The saint then became known as Saint Christina of Bolsena and the lake’s patron saint.
On the culinary side, the king of the table is naturally fresh water fish such as coregone, a lake whitefish, perch, pike, mullet, trout and eel. Coregone is perhaps the most loved by the locals, with the area’s two most famous recipes being either cooked meuniere style, that is dredged in flour and pan fried in butter, or alla bolsanese, that is baked in the oven with vinegar. After a morning exploring Bolsena, we drive to the Medeival fishing village of Marta for a lakeside lunch at Trattoria de la Jolanda. Started in 1950 by Mrs. Jolanda specializing in selling local products such as Cannaiola and Tozzetti, the restaurant became a trattoria in the 1960s, with the kitchen offering fresh caught fish and homemade pasta. 30 years later, Rocchi Veride took over the restaurant and named it "Trattoria della Jolanda", in honour of its founder. The rustic restaurant still maintains its special charm, which in the warm weather is absolutely lovely with an exterior loggia with beautiful lake views, and a menu that remains faithful to its tradition of homemade pasta and local fish from Lake Bolsena. A typical dish of local fishermen is Sbroscia, a fish stew with potatoes, onion, tomato and mint, served on stale bread to sop up the soupy juices, as well as grilled whitebait patties, which the fishermen eat first thing in the morning, grilled over coals along with stewed tench and tagliolini boiled in the fish broth — molto buono!
The main square of Piazza Matteotti in the pretty town of Bolsena
Local beans and grains from the fertile Bolsena region
Entrance to Basilica of Santa Cristina was consecrated by Pope Gregory VII in 1077, and is seen here with blue and white lunette above the portal by Florentine artists, in the style of Della Robbia
The Grotto of Santa Cristina of Bolsena with 4th-century sarcophagus which holds the relics of the saint, and the lake’s patron saint
Under the tomb is an extraordinary warren of paleochristian burial catacombs
The winding street of Corso Cavour in Medieval Bolsena
Stopping by a local shop for some prosciutto and anise taralli
La Perla fish shop with enviable selection of local freshwater varieties such as Coregone,
plus octopus and sepia from the Med
A tempting variety of fish nestled on a bed of crushed ice
Fontana di San Rocco in Piazza della Fontana, in memory of the saint that during his passage in the town he drank and washed in it and thus healed the plague in Bolsena
Porta Fiorentina perched at the end of Corsa Cavour
Rocca Monaldeschi della Cervara was built between the 12th and 14th centuries by the Monaldeschi, who were the de-facto rulers at the time of Orvieto and Bolsena
The Bolsena Marina and flowering waterfront promenade
The quaint waterside Trattoria de la Jolanda on Lake Bolsena
The quirky table setting of Jolanda with 1950's style juice glasses and paper napkins but fabulously located on the waters edge of crystal clear Lake Bolsena
Jolanda's seafood intensive menu features lots of Lake Bolsena lake fish
View from Jolanda to the fishing village of Marta
View from our table at Jolanda to Capodimonte, a charming medieval town Capodimonte on the shores of Lake Bolsena, and also an active fishing village
Our server opening our Aimè Pecorino
A delicious Aimè Pecorino from Abruzzo
A flotilla of ducks make the crystal clear water of Lago Bolsena home
My beautiful little Italian feathered friend
Alici Marinate: Anchovies marinated in olive oil
Fiori di Zucca Fritti con mozzarella e acciughe: Fried Courgette Flowers with mozzarella and anchovies
Risotto alla Pescatora: Seafood Risotto
Grigliate Miste de Mare: Mixed Grilled Seafood
The Medieval fishing village of Marta on the south shore of Lago Bolsena
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