Capodimonte
Capodimonte
Capodimonte is located along the shores of Lake Bolsena, on the south shore. The town is perched around its castle built by the will of the family Farnese.The fortress is the architectural symbol of the city as well as the seat of the Museo della Navigazione Acque Interne, in which the history and evolution of this ancient practice is told. Capodimonte has a millennial past, the town would be the heir of the city ofVesentum, an important urban center of Etruscan origin located in Umbria and destroyed. It is difficult to establish the connection between these two villages but what we know with more certainty is that the Capodimonte area was already inhabited in the Villanovan era, as evidenced by some finds found in archaeological sites. From the long past of this city, what has come down to us intact are the palaces and churches erected by the Farnese family, the noble family who had the greatest impact on the history of these lands.
Not to be missed
Capodimonte is a village full of places to visit that tell the millennial past of this land. The most interesting places to visit are:
Where to eat
Capodimonte is the home of the famous “whitefish” caught in the Bolsena basin. This kind of freshwater sea bass is the main product of many traditional recipes. The meat of this fish is considered delicious and tasty and lends itself to being cooked in several ways and is the protagonist of many menus in Capodimonte restaurants and of a festival that takes place in summer.
Where to sleep
There are many structures in which to stay in Capodimonte, the main ones are located in two areas of the city in the historic center and lakeside.
Events
Capodimonte presents a rich calendar of events on an annual basis. All the events that take place in the country are linked to its history and its popular culture. The traditional feasts of Capodimonte are:
- Feast of Sant’Antonio Abate, a religious event that takes place every year on January 17th;
- The Sagra del Coregone, a gastronomic event that celebrates a particular quality of lake fish;
- Together in history, it is a festival dedicated to the medieval origins of the village of Capodimonte.
Reviews
History
Capodimonte stands on a small promontory about 330 meters high along the southern shores of Lake Bolsena. It dominates the Lazio town from the other, the fortress sixteenth century erected by the papal family of the Farnese considered one of the most beautiful and important monuments of the village and the surrounding area. According to historians, Capodimonte is the heir of the Etruscan Vesentum , destroyed in 280 BC and then rebuilt by the Romans with the name of Visentium .
Since the early days of the development of Christianity, the city became a diocese and a municipality. In the middle of the 8th century the ancient village was again destroyed this time by the Lombards.
The population dispersed and part of it founded the first inhabited nucleus of Capodimonte.
Capodimonte was then subjected to the lords of Bisenzio during the course of the 11th century, subsequently under the direct control of the municipality of Orvieto in the thirteenth century and then became an outpost of the bishopric of Montefiascone in 1369. Capodimonte is mainly known for its link with the Farnese lordship, the rulers of Duchy of Castro, inside which Capodimonte was annexed in 1385. After the destruction of the capital of the Farnese kingdom, the town passed under the control of state of the Church and remained there until the advent of the kingdom of Italy.
How to reach Capodimonte
Capodimonte is located along the southern shore of Lake Bolsena and is about 12 km from the town of Montefiascone and 28 km from the city of Bolsena.
The village is easily accessible by car as it is only 15 minutes from Viterbo and 30 minutes from the Orte motorway junction. From Rome the estimated time to reach it by car is 60 minutes.
By car
– Take the A1 motorway and follow the exit for Orte then, take the Cassia state road for about 4 km and then continue following the left exit for Capodimonte and after about 20 km you will find the sign indicating the exit for the city.
There are also other ways to get to Capodimenote especially if you come from Rome or Viterbo:
By bus, the area is served by the Cotral service
By train, the closest stations are those of Viterbo or Montefiascone-Zepponami or Orvieto.
