Ships of Caligula in them, or the Italian National Museum of Roman Ships. Nemi, Italy. Strawberry-strawberry dolce vita near Rome

Dedicated to all lovers of strawberries and strawberries - Nemi (Italy), Where dolce vita, or "sweet life" has a very specific taste and aroma. This is the taste of childhood, the smells of the forest and freshly cut grass, small joys. summer holidays when every moment you want to exclaim "Stop, you're great!".
It is these sensations that arise in Nemi - a tiny town immersed in greenery, towering above the lake of the same name. Total in 40 minutes from This is the second capital of Italy - strawberry-strawberry. Nemi has been famous since antiquity for its wild strawberry growing on the slopes of a former volcano. Due to the unique microclimate and fertile soil rich in volcanic ash, local strawberries are considered sweeter than commercially grown varieties. In addition to strawberries, in Nemi you can enjoy strawberries (aka garden strawberries), blueberries, blackberries, raspberries: berries, appearance which is impeccable, neatly arranged in small containers, in portions that are convenient for a snack. They are sold in numerous shops on the way to the main observation deck, which is next to the Ruspoli Palace, which offers panoramic views of.

Although Nemi and small town, gastronomic tour in strawberry paradise is quite possible to combine with cultural program. This place is unique in its history dating back to the 9th century BC, when the first settlements arose on the shores around the lake, mystical lake Nemi, associated with the cult of the goddess Diana, and the charm of country life with its unhurried rhythm and more relaxed, relaxing atmosphere.

The content of the article:

Where is it located and how to get to Nemi
Nemi is a paradise for lovers of strawberries and wild strawberries
Strawberry Festival in Nemi
Souvenirs and food in Nemi
History and sights of Nemi

1. Where is it located and how to get to Nemi

Nemi (Italy) is located in the Lazio region and is administratively and territorially included in the metropolitan city, formerly the province, Rome (Italian: Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale), which includes the capital and 121 municipalities - nearby cities and the territories adjacent to them.

Nemi belongs to the famous "castles of Rome" - Castelli Romani, regional park, uniting 13 cities located on the Alban Hills southeast of the capital. This area is popular tourist place and today, as in past times, is a favorite vacation spot of the Romans.

Accordingly, it is best to get from Russia to Nemi by plane to Rome, combining visit the eternal city with a tour of the Castelli Romani.

From Rome to Nemi can be reached:

by car - rented or order a guide service in the outskirts of Rome with a car. This is the most convenient and comfortable way, because There are no direct public transport routes to Nemi. Travel time will be 40-50 minutes.
on public transport. First option: go with station Roma Termini by train to Albano Laziale station, transfer to the Cotral bus, get off at the 5th stop in Genzano di Roma, a town in the western part of Lake Nemi. From Genzano di Roma to Nemi lovers hiking can walk (3 km) or take 5 minutes by bus; Second option: go to the last metro station Roma Anagnina (line A), take the direct Cotral bus to Genzano di Roma (travel time is approximately 45 minutes), then proceed in the same way as in the first option.

2. Nemi is a paradise for strawberry lovers

God, of course, could create a more perfect berry, but he created strawberries, one English writer noted.

Strawberries growing in the forests surrounding Rome have been known since antiquity. The poets Virgil and Ovid, in particular, noted the passionate love of the Romans for strawberries, despite their high cost. But not only the amazing taste of strawberries attracted the Romans, but also beneficial features this plant in the treatment of many diseases. Due to its heart shape and red color, the strawberry was one of the symbols of the goddess of love Venus and was used as an aphrodisiac and ingredient cosmetics designed to preserve feminine beauty.

Here it is worth making a reservation. Strawberries and wild strawberries belong to the same genus Strawberries of the Rosaceae family, the whole essence of which is reflected by the Latin name "Fragaria", which means "fragrant". Speaking of “strawberries”, Russian-speaking people most often mean a plant cultivated by humans (we used to call strawberries large and juicy garden, or large-fruited strawberries (Fragaria ananassa), grown in our dachas and at the same time the most popular for production on an industrial scale). IN Italian(and also, for example, in English language), unlike Russian, do not separate strawberries and strawberries at all. Both in Italian fragole, however, there is a special word for designating wild strawberries - fragolina di bosco, or fragola di bosco. If you want to try exactly wild strawberries, then be guided by this name.

On the slopes around Lake Nemi, two varieties of wild strawberries are grown - one round and one elongated, as well as the usual strawberries with large berries (aka "garden strawberries"). As mentioned above, local strawberries are considered especially sweet. My personal impression is some disappointment: the strawberries looked appetizing and flawless, berry to berry, but turned out to be not as tasty and fragrant as we would like. Perhaps the whole point is that I happened to visit Nemi in mid-April, while high season strawberry picking is in May.

3. Strawberry Festival in Nemi

Nemi is a beautiful place to visit at any time of the year. But especially lucky for those who will be here in late May and early June, when, after the harvest, the annual Strawberry Festival (La sagra delle Fragole) is celebrated.

The tradition of strawberry festivals in Nemi dates back to 1922. This is a bright and colorful event, including festive processions in historical costumes (women in wide red skirts and white shirts with a black bodice), concerts of folk and classical music, poetry readings, excursions, performances and entertainment for children. In parallel with the Strawberry Festival, a flower festival is held, the winner of which receives the "Golden Strawberry".

The culmination of the festive week is the last day, usually on the first Sunday of June: a big strawberry parade, a free distribution of strawberries to everyone from a huge vat filled to the brim with berries mixed with prosecco, and festive fireworks after sunset.

4. Souvenirs and food in Nemi

What can you bring back from strawberry paradise? Of course, a pleasant reminder of the trip is a souvenir in the form of a strawberry (magnet, earrings, bracelet, printed towel, etc.) or even the plant itself in a pot.

In addition to jams, syrups, marmalades and the usual dolce with strawberries - from tartlets to gelato, in Nemi you can try strawberry pasta, risotto, liquor and even pizza with strawberry slices. If you stop for lunch at one of the trattorias, try the local specialty - pasta with porcini mushrooms (funghi porcini), tastes great.

Life hack fromY& C Italy: after walking along the picturesque streets of Nemi, take a glass of cold prosecco with wild strawberries in a cafe (opposite the observation deck at the Palazzo Ruspoli). Luxurious views of Lake Nemi and refreshing, throat-tickling prosecco will give you unforgettable moments in style.dolce vita.

5. History and sights of Nemi

Nemi is a charming and very "Italian" town, which is pleasant to walk around, explore the streets winding between low houses, admire the neat, flower-decorated balconies, drink coffee or prosecco with strawberries in cozy cafes and look into the shops where smiling sellers will chat, like they've known you for a hundred years. Splashes of red and green are everywhere - there are really a lot of these juicy summer colors in the strawberry-strawberry paradise.

The area around Nemi was inhabited by people even before the founding of Rome. During the times of the Republic and the Empire, many representatives of the Roman nobility loved to relax on Lake Nemi. It is said that somewhere here were the villas of Julius Caesar and his successor Octavian Augustus.

The town itself arose only in the 10th century, along with the construction of a fortress. In the Middle Ages, the lake and surrounding areas belonged to members of the Borgia dynasty. Mine modern look Nemi acquired in the XVI-XVII centuries. and since then, only cars and satellite dishes on the roofs of houses remind of the signs of the times. Goethe, Byron, Stendhal, Hans Christian Andersen visited Nemi. The Magic Lake was captured in their paintings by several artists, including the famous British painter and master of the romantic landscape William Turner.

The main attraction of Nemi, of course, is the lake of the same name. Lake Nemi volcanic origin: the collapsed walls of the crater of the volcano formed a hollow - a caldera, which then filled with water.

The name Nemi comes from the word for "grove" - nemus in Latin. Indeed, the lake is framed by dense thickets of trees and shrubs, and in shape it itself resembles a neat female mirror, in which the Moon is reflected exactly in the center on clear nights. It is no coincidence that in ancient times Nemi was poetically called Diana's mirror- on the shores of a magical lake arose Sanctuary of Diana Nemorensis(Diana Nemorensis), or Diana Lesnoy, patroness of flora and fauna, personified by the Moon.

What can you see in Nemi?

Museum of Roman shipsMuseo delle Navi Romane) , the main exhibits of which are two ships built by the most famous (along with Nero) madcap of antiquity, Emperor Caligula in the 1st century AD. The ships of Caligula, equipped with purple silk sails, were palaces on the water - with marble columns, heating, mosaic floors and even mini-terms. It is still not entirely clear why Caligula needed such large and luxurious ships on such a small lake. According to some assumptions, they were used for the amusement and orgies of the eccentric emperor and his retinue, according to others - to worship the goddess Diana, whose cult was especially favored by Caligula (and possibly both). The lake for centuries kept the secret of the ships that were sunk, most likely at the behest of the next emperor, Claudius, who wanted to erase all memory of Caligula, until they were discovered in the 15th century and removed by lowering the water level already in the 20th century by order fascist dictator Mussolini. Unfortunately, the original ships were destroyed during World War II (only a few charred logs and some bronze statues remain), and today we can see not even copies, but 1:5 scale models. According to legend, there was a third ship, which has not yet been found.

Palazzo Ruspoli (Palazzo Ruspoli) - a castle-palace with a high cylindrical tower, dominating the city space, is visible from almost any point. It was built as a fortress in the 10th century by the Count of Tusculum (Conti di Tuscolo - a powerful Italian family that for some time controlled public policy, Rome and the appointment of popes). In subsequent centuries, the palace changed its owners, rebuilt and expanded to their liking. Nowadays, exhibitions and concerts are held in some rooms of the palace.
Umberto SquareI(Piazza Umberto I) at the Palazzo Ruspoli. Here you can sit in a cafe with a panoramic view of Lake Nemi and listen to live music. It is on Piazza Umberto I that the big strawberry parade begins as part of the Strawberry Festival
Ruins of the Temple of Diana Nemorensis. It's hard to believe that it was once a large, decorated big amount statues temple complex, in which there were rooms for priests and pilgrims, baths and even a theater. The high priest of the temple bore the title of Rex Nemorensis, or "King of the Sacred Grove," and a claimant to this title could appropriate it for himself by plucking a golden branch in the sacred grove ... and killing the previous high priest in a bloody ritual symbolizing the withering and resurrection of nature. locals claim that the restless spirit of Rex Nemorensis still roams somewhere in the forests around the lake, and advise walking along the local paths with caution, especially on a full moon
Church of Santa Maria del Pozzo(Santa Maria del Pozzo). The legend says that they decided to erect the church next to the well (pozzo), from which the spirit of the Virgin Mary appeared.

Bronze statue of the goddess Diana at the entrance to the city
Fountain of Medusa Gorgon(Fontana della Gorgona)
If you come to Nemi with your lover, then don't miss observation deck, which is called - Terrace of Lovers(Terrazza degli Innamorati). Opens from the terrace gorgeous view to the valley of Lake Nemi with strawberry plantations, which will serve as an excellent backdrop for your kiss

You can order an individual excursion in Rome or Castelli Romani by car with a guide by simply sending us an application by mail: [email protected] website by calling +7 910 476 34 33 in Moscow or +39 334 8402086 in Italy.

Southeast of Rome in the hills Albano located 13 towns, which are united under common name Castelli - Romani. In any of these cities you can taste excellent food and good wine, as well as see the numerous castles, thanks to which these settlements got their names.

Today, together with the children, we visited a small, but very beautiful city Nemi. Nemi is located near Rome, only 30 km. Best known for its annual strawberry festivals and no less famous Lake Nemi.

Many tourists tend to come here for at least a few hours. With the light hand of Pope Pius II, the city Nemi was named " house of muses and nymphs". Historians claim that in ancient times, the locals worshiped the goddess Diana, who was considered the patroness of love. Once a temple was erected here in honor of the goddess Diana, but it has not survived to this day. Perhaps that is why the lake in the city Nemi often called " Mirror of Diana».

In 1927, when Benito Mussolini was in power in Italy, two sunken ships were raised from the bottom of the lake. According to historians, they have survived from the time of the emperor Caligula- Holidays were held on these ships.

The size of each vessel was 70 by 20 meters. Some of the decorative elements that adorned the ships have survived, such as the elegantly carved wolf's head of wood and the decks covered with marble and mosaics.

As the Roman writer and historian Suetonius wrote, Caligula “built the Liburnian galleys with ten rows of oars, with a pearl stern, with multi-colored sails, with huge baths, porticos, banqueting chambers, even with vineyards and orchards of all kinds: feasting in them in broad daylight , he sailed along the coast of Campania to music and singing ”(Life of the Twelve Caesars. Book Four. Art. 37)

At the moment, work is underway to restore the Roman ships raised from the bottom.

Not far from Albano lies Lake Nemi. It is much smaller (the size is about 1.5 square kilometers, and the depth is only 100 meters), and it is even more visible from it that this is a former volcano crater. The high walls of the former crater, surrounding the reservoir, protect it from the sun. And if Albano is a cheerful and bright lake, then Nemi is dark and gloomy. The walls of the crater are so high that the wind does not often disturb the surface of the water.

And we again go to the legendary times, when Ascanius and his father Aeneas came to these places from the defeated Troy. Ascanius founded the legendary kingdom of Alba Longa, but his father Aeneas also lived here, nearby. The locals worshiped with the goddess Diana. And they had a sacred grove, a sacred tree with a golden branch grew here. And so Aeneas needed to get into the underworld to Hades in order to consult with his father. To protect himself during this journey, the goddess Proserpina advised him to pluck the Golden Branch from this sacred tree, which Aeneas did. Journey to the afterlife went well.

Since then, a strange and barbaric custom has arisen. Killers lived near this sacred tree, waiting for their killers. A certain man, who bore the title of the Forest King, gloomily walked around him all day long until late at night with a crouching gait, with a drawn sword in his hand. It was a priest, and he was waiting for his killer. According to tradition, the priest of the goddess Diana had to be a runaway slave, moreover, he must have killed the previous priest. By committing a murder, he received the title of the Forest King. So he lived on, with a sword in his hand protecting the sacred tree in the forest. When a new challenger appeared, he had to break the branch of this tree before he killed the priest. The broken branch of this tree symbolized the golden branch broken by Aeneas in front of his dangerous journey to another world. She was a sign, a warning, and a confirmation of the claimant's right to kill the Forest King and take his place. Therefore, the priest guarded the tree day and night. And the killer, having become the King of the Forest, he, in turn, began to wait for his killer. They say that the sinister ghost - the guardian of the Golden Branch, still roams the shores of the lake, in the shadow of the forests, forever waiting for the appearance of his killer.

By the way, something from the once famous temple of Diana has survived to the present, and in 2010, a grove with a sacred tree was also apparently discovered. At least archaeologists suggest that this is it.

It's wild, but this custom was still preserved in the days of imperial Rome. When Caligula came to power in 37 AD, this custom still existed.

Caligula was born in 12 AD. e. and at the time of accession to the throne he was 24 years old. At first, he showed himself to be a good and wise ruler, but after 8 months something happened. He got sick with something, and after that they changed him. Madness followed madness. The most famous is that he made his beloved horse Incitatus first a citizen of Rome, then a senator, and after that he even put him on the list of candidates for consul. And the blood flowed like a river - he executed and killed people in masses, even his relatives. Once, for example, he executed the son of Senator Falcon ... "for refined manners and the ability to behave with dignity." His sexual promiscuity was legendary. Although historians do not consider a single fact of his follies and sexual promiscuity to be confirmed.

Photo from the Internet

In Rome, the cult of Diana was considered "foreign" and not common in patrician circles, but was popular among the slaves, who had immunity in the temples of Diana. This cult attracted Caligula. He often came to Lake Nemi and began to take part in the rituals himself. And then he even decided that the Forest King was getting rich and sent a strong young slave to kill him. But even this seemed to him not enough, and he ordered the construction of two ships, so huge that the world had not yet seen. To arrange a sanctuary of the goddess on the ship and worship her.

These ships were not supposed to sail in open waters. But they had to withstand a huge weight - after all, one of them was supposed to accommodate the temple of Diana. Therefore, a low draft was needed. The vessels were set in motion with the help of hundreds of rowers.

Photo from the Internet

These were not just boats. These were floating palaces with marble buildings, galleries, green terraces with living trees and vines. There were marble mosaic floors, under which clay pipes were installed, with the help of which these floors were heated. There was running water with hot and cold water and a bronze tap (very similar in design to the modern one), with the help of which the flow of water into the tanks was regulated. The nails with which the wooden elements were fastened were treated with a solution that protects them from corrosion.

Photo from the Internet

When in 41 AD The 29-year-old Caligula, along with his wife and child, was killed as often happened at that time - the successors tried to erase even the memory of Caligula's short (only 3 years 9 months) but very extravagant reign. They tried to destroy everything connected with it. And his ships were sunk in the lake. And all the documents related to their construction were destroyed. And there were only rumors about them, but notoriety. However, information about how and why these ships were flooded is also not preserved. So it's all just guesswork.

Photo from the Internet

In the Middle Ages, the fashion for antiquity came and in 1444 Cardinal Prospero Colonna, knowing local legends, organized an expedition to Lake Nemi. And the ships were indeed found. Rather, only one ship was found at first. The cardinal even made an attempt to lift it from the bottom, but only tore off a piece of the bow of the ship.

A second attempt was made in 1535, and again unsuccessful. The ships were forgotten until 1885, when the British ambassador to Italy, Lord Seyvile, undertook his expedition and ripped off almost all the bronze ornaments, mosaics, gold and marble decorations from the mysterious ship with hooks. In the future, all these items became the property of British museums and private collections. But the ships themselves remained lying at the bottom.

Photo from the Internet

And then came the 20th century. Underwater archaeologists examined the lake and found the hull of another ship. It lay close to the shore and was approximately 60 meters long and 20 wide. The ship, once discovered by Cardinal Colonna, was larger: 73 meters long and 24 meters wide. The Italian government has decided that they are a national treasure. And in 1927, Mussolini ordered to begin the rise.

To do this, they decided to drain the lake. For this, it was not even necessary to dig a canal - it turned out that on Lake Nemi, as well as on Lake Alban, the ancient Romans built drainage tunnels. They were used. When the bottom was exposed, two rowing ships appeared. Rails were laid along the bottom of the lake, and ships were pulled ashore along them.

Photo from the Internet

The enthusiasm of scientists knew no bounds. First of all, the uniqueness of these structures, the perfection of forms and the mastery of execution were noted. So, for example, the pine sides of one of the ships were protected from the destructive effect of water with tarred wool and triple lead sheathing. Many of the metal parts of the ships were gilded. Products made of bronze and iron had a high anti-corrosion resistance. Two rotating platforms were found, under one of them there were eight bronze balls moving in a chute. Another platform rested on eight conical wooden rollers, also moving in a chute. Both designs are reminiscent of rolling bearings, the prototype of which was invented in the 16th century by the great Leonardo da Vinci. The purpose of these platforms is still unknown. It is possible that they were used as rotating statue stands.

Photo from the Internet

The device for lifting anchors is also surprising; a crank mechanism is used in its design. In all likelihood, this is the first example of the use of a crank mechanism, except for a hand mill.

Caligula's ships had two anchors. One of them, made of oak, - classic design with iron paws and lead stock. Another anchor, also made of iron and wood, was similar in design to the anchors that appeared in the Dutch navy in the 18th century.

Photo from the Internet

An inscription was found on one of the ship's lead pipes: "Property of Caius Caesar Augustus Germanicus." This is the full name of Caligula. So the scientists became convinced that they were the ships of the mad emperor. Some inscriptions, however, testified that the construction of these ships (or retrofitting?) Continued after the death of Caligula.

The Italian government built a huge museum on the banks of the Nemi, where the barges of Caligula were exhibited until 1944, when, during the retreat of the Germans from the city, the major, head of the unit stationed in Nemi, burned the galleys before leaving. It was an act of hatred. Senseless and devastating hatred. Very little was saved. I found information that this same major, after the defeat of Germany in World War II, found refuge in one of the cities of Germany, where he became a teacher in high school ... and taught art history for many years !!!

The museum is still there, but the exposition in it is very poor.

But recently (in the summer of 2011) the museum was replenished with a new exhibit - a huge previously exhibited unknown statue the famous Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known by the nickname Caligula. And they found it by accident. When trying to take fragments out of the country antique statue so-called "black archaeologists" were arrested. They were "untwisted" and they showed where they found the fragments. Scientists went to the place and found the rest of the fragments there, and in addition a bunch of interesting things. The statue depicted a luxuriously dressed young man seated on a cushion lying on a marble throne. Caligula was recognized "on the leg" - the young man was wearing Roman military boots, boots, because of which Caligula got his nickname (because he loved to walk in them as a child).

Photo from the Internet

In the city of Nemi, standing on the lake, there is a small bust of Caligula.

And also this small town Considered the "strawberry capital" of Italy.

Photo by SvetaSG

And here you can enjoy the most natural products.

What is interesting about the town of Nemi in Italy? Annual strawberry festival in Nemi, lake "Diana's mirror". What to see, photos and reviews.

The main thing to see in Nemi is a pretty Old city

The population of Nemi is just over two thousand people. Life in Nemi seems to have stopped several centuries ago - all the same small shops where a hospitable owner will offer his best goods. From time immemorial, it was possible to buy the freshest vegetables and fruits from a greengrocer, from a butcher - mouth-watering tenderloins and sausages smelling of spices, in a souvenir shop you could buy excellent gifts for loved ones - and nothing has changed since then.

What to see in Nemi

The architecture of the city is also not new - these are cute two and three-story houses, with small balconies hung with flowers. You may not meet “stars of world magnitude” here, but in terms of beauty, local buildings are in no way inferior to them. All this makes Nemi a favorite with those who love relaxing holiday, no highway noise, hum big city and its eternal vanity.

However, these are not the main charms of this place. Nemi is a true strawberry paradise. The surrounding hills not only form magnificent scenery, but also serve as plantations for juicy, ripe, sweet strawberries. Thanks to her, the city became famous far beyond. Local strawberries have their own special, piquant taste with a slight sourness. The original heart shape gives it a special charm. It is not difficult to guess which product local specialties are dedicated to. Hundreds, even thousands, of strawberry dishes and drinks are waiting for you.

These are cakes and pastries melting in your mouth, charming desserts, mousses, jellies, jams, salads, sauces, as well as cocktails, liqueurs, wines. Even the most sophisticated gourmet will not resist such an abundance, and why, when there are so many goodies around? Each restaurant, of which there are a great many in Nemi, will offer you dozens of their special, unique recipes.

Souvenir shops and streets of Nemi

Strawberry Festival in Nemi - a delight for those with a sweet tooth!

Every summer, at the beginning of June, the main event takes place in Nemi, which attracts sweet tooth from all nearby settlements and thousands of tourists - strawberry festival. It begins with a kind of carnival, when the inhabitants of the town dress up as strawberry pickers and, in general, whoever they are. And proudly march through the streets to the enthusiastic cries of the crowd. On this day, every square meter of Nemi is literally strewn with strawberries in all its manifestations. At every step there are stalls and counters where strawberries with cream, strawberries with sugar, fresh strawberries are served.

At the entrance to the Old Town, guests are greeted by a huge bowl of strawberries, sugar and wine. Each visitor must certainly taste the proposed treat, so as not to offend the townspeople.

Houses dressed in flower garlands, music playing everywhere, glasses of strawberry wine clinking, toasts and jokes dedicated to strawberries, ringing laughter of passersby - what else do you need to create a festive mood? And all this action ends with a stunning fireworks, whose lights, multiplying, are reflected in the water surface of Lake Nemi, about which we will talk a little bit later. The holiday has appeared in the Italian calendar since ancient times, when the women of Nemi harvested strawberries and went to sell them in Rome.

The Strawberry Festival in Nemi (Sagra della Fragola) is held annually at the beginning of June. In 2019, the holiday falls on the week of May 28 to June 5. And 1-2 weeks before and after the celebration in Nemi, you can buy the most fragrant strawberries in Italy.

Lake Nemi - "Diana's mirror"

The Romans like to relax near Lake Nemi

Another celebrity of Nemi is the eponymous lake with crystal clean water. Our town is located on its banks. Many centuries ago, Caligula built the famous palace ships on this lake, one of which was dedicated to the goddess Diana. The palaces sank, but were discovered in the 15th century and brought to the surface.

The Italians themselves call the lake the "mirror of Diana", because of its depth and strong undercurrent. Many legends and legends are associated with the lake, and surround it high mountains and dense forests. Here you can always take a break from the summer heat and plunge into the shady coolness.