Isola Polvese
| Isola Polvese | ||
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| Waters | Lake Trasimeno | |
| Geographical location | 43 ° 7 '12 " N , 12 ° 8' 22" E | |
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| length | 1.7 km | |
| width | 700 m | |
| surface | 69.6 ha | |
| Highest elevation | 313 m | |
| Residents | uninhabited | |
The Isola Polvese is an island in Lake Trasimeno in Italy . It belongs to the municipality of Castiglione del Lago and is owned by the Province of Perugia .
geography
The Isola Polvese with an area of 69.6 hectares is the largest of the three islands in the lake.
The shoreline lies at a height of 258 meters, the highest point is 313.4 meters high. The maximum length is 1.7 kilometers, the width around 700 meters.
There are numerous olive trees on the sunnier west and south sides ; Holm oaks predominantly grow on the north coast . The flat bank zones are covered with extensive reed areas, which provide a habitat for numerous bird and amphibian species.
Infrastructure
The island can be reached several times a day by boat from San Feliciano and can be explored on well-developed walking paths. The restaurant "Il Poggio" is also a youth hostel.
On the east side there are extensive meadows for playing; You can swim on the sandy beach on the north side.
A total of 44 beds are available in the «Villa Forestiera» and in the guest house in the seminar center with congress hall. A restaurant and a bar are available in the villa. In the self-service restaurant “Casa di Delfo” 150 to 200 people can be served per meal.
Information for tourists can be obtained from the ship landing stage.
Path on the south bank
Ship landing stage
youth hostel
playground
Beach on the east side
history
The island was already inhabited at the time of the Etruscans and Romans , from whose epoch there are some remains of Opus reticulatum in the church of San Giuliano . The island is mentioned for the first time in writing in 817 in a document in which Emperor Louis the Pious Pope Paschal I grants the city of Perugia and the three islands of the lake as fiefs.
In 1139 the inhabitants of the island came under the protection of the city of Perugia. The approximately 500 people lived from fishing and the produce of their gardens and brought it to some prosperity. After 1482, Olivetan monks began to plant almost all of the island with olive trees. In 1624 they fled to Perugia from malaria , which led to a decline in prosperity. In 1643 the troops of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany stationed on the island caused considerable damage. During the 18th century, only a few dozen people lived on the island.
In 1841 the Counts Pianciani from Spoleto bought the island, which was mainly used as a hunting ground. In 1890 Ferdinando Cesaroni (1836–1912) became the owner of the island. In 1917 she inherited his niece Fernanda Gobba, who was married to the writer and journalist Ugo Ojetti .
In 1939 the island came into the possession of Biagio Biagiotti, who had the Casa Merlata ("house with the battlements") built. He also promoted agriculture. At that time around 30 people lived on the island. The construction of the "Villa Forestiera" which he had started was completed by his successor Citterio.
In 1959 the island was bought by Count Giannino Citterio from Milan, who among other things had the aquatic plant garden created. After it was acquired by the province of Perugia in 1972, it developed into a popular local recreation area. The largest part is a nature reserve and may not be built on.
In 1995, Isola Polvese was declared a “Scientific and Didactic Natural Park” by the Province of Perugia. The park serves as a starting point for research and experiments as well as for education and training in the context of environmental protection.
In 2005 the island received an environmental award. It is subject to regular environmental quality controls in accordance with international guidelines. In 2007 the island was nominated for the EDEN Prize for “ European Destinations of Excellence” .
Attractions
In addition to the scenic attractions such as gardens, trees and plants, there are ruins of historical buildings on the island:
Fort
The tower and the wall towers with the circular wall in the shape of a pentagon have been preserved from the fort from the 14th century. The longest wall at 85 meters on the south side used to stand directly on the water. The terraced inner courtyard was not built over.
During the Renaissance , the defense system was reinforced by cannons installed in the towers on two floors. The building never served as a residence for rulers, but was a refuge for the population in times of war.
Next to the church is the small church of San Giuliano from the 11th century, frescoed inside.
San Secondo Monastery
The two-story monastery of the Olivetan monks stood on the highest point of the island. It connected at right angles to the monastery church and was built in 1482 by a decree of Pope Sixtus IV. In 1624 it was abandoned.
The three-aisled monastery church with crypt and apse was first attested in 1014. Only the outer walls of her have survived.
The actual monastery building was repaired in summer 2011. Both buildings are not open to the public.
Aquatic plant garden
The Giardino delle Piante Acquatiche was designed in 1959/60 in an old limestone quarry by the Florentine landscape architect Pietro Porcinai (1910–1986). Various tubs are carved out of the rock, the deepest has a maximum depth of 5.3 meters. The pools are fed by lake water. They are surrounded by meadows with olive trees and typical plants such as strawberry trees , myrtle , thyme and lavender .
Web links
- Website Isola Polvese (Italian)
- Fattoria Isola Polvese (English and Italian)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Youth hostel ( Memento of the original from June 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Nature Park
- ↑ Lake Trasimeno
- ↑ Aquatic Plant Garden
- ↑ La Piscina Porcinai - Giardino delle Piante Acquatiche (Italian)
