Bolsena

The origins of this attractive town immersed in lush nature date back to the 3rd century B.C. when it was populated by the Etruscans who were escaping the destruction of Velzna. It came under Roman rule with the name, "Volsinii", resisting until the arrival of the Lombards; then it was abandoned, and the population moved to higher grounds, on the most secure cliff that today is home to the medieval quarter. Begin your visit here, losing yourselves in the picturesque alleyways.

MONALDESCHI FORTRESS DELLA CEVARA AND THE TERRITORIAL MUSEUM OF BOLSENA LAKE
The mighty mass of this castle was conceived to resist the Lombardic invasions between the 12th and 14th century. Then it was acquired by the Monaldeschi family, embellishing it during its signoria period.
Inside is home to the Territorial Museum of Bolsena Lake, laid out on three floors: on the ground floor, the sections examine the formation of the volcanic basin of the lake, prehistory, protohistory, and the Etruscan phase (a must-see is the exhibition of the remains of the Villanovan town of "Gran Carro") until the Roman conquest; on the first floor there are findings from the excavation of the city of Volsinii; underground the sections examine the period from the Middle Ages to now, with ceramics found in the major tower of the Fortress and a presentation of folklore of the location, including an interesting section dedicated to the fishing tradition. In the external courtyard, there are numerous altars and funeral cippus from the Roman Era.

The Collegiate Church of Santa Cristina
This original building encompasses four churches from different eras. Around the tomb of S. Cristina, a part of the tufaceous cliff was cut to make space for a PaleoChristian cave, the same one that in 1263 was witness to the miracle of Corpus Domini. Today you can visit the catacombs, and you'll find a large terracotta icon and statue of the dead S. Cristina, both works of Benedetto Buglioni from Florence. In the 11th century the Basilica was built, with three naves with Latin-cross layout to which a belltower with double lancet window was added in the 14th century, and in the 15th century, the Renaissance façade was added. For the story of the basilica, the commission of Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici and, even more so, the devotion to Santa Cristina on behalf of Matilda di Canossa and Pope Gregory VII, who consecrated her in 1078, were crucial. It was in the 17th century that the Chapel of the Miracle was added, in which the stones spotted with blood were moved, relics of the Eucharistic Miracle. Today the worship service to the martyr from Bolsena is one of the most diffuse in the Catholic world.

The Etruscan-Roman City of Volsinii
Several hundred meters from the Monaldeschi Fortress, you will find the entrance to the archaeological area. Your eyes will immediately jump to the powerful late-Etruscan wall (3rd century B.C.) which extended beyond four kilometers and enclosed four hills. Continuing onwards you reach the Forum from the Flavia Era surrounded by shops and bordered by two parallel streets. There are the remains of an ancient Basilica. later transformed into a church, further proof, other than literary sources, that there was a Christian community in ancient Volsinii. Two magnificent villas with frescoes and mosaic flooring indicate the residential quarter and are beside a thermal system from the 1st century A.D. and an amphitheater. All is surrounded by a myriad of necropolises with tomb-rooms and a ditch, dating between the 3rd century B.C. and the 4th century A.D.