Not far from Albano lies Lake Nemi. It is much smaller (size is about 1.5 sq. km, and depth is only 100 meters), and it is even more clear from it that this is a former volcanic 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 defeated Troy. Ascanius founded the legendary kingdom of Alba Longa, but his father Aeneas also lived here, nearby. Local residents worshiped the goddess Diana. And they had a sacred grove, a sacred tree with a golden branch grew here. And so Aeneas needed to get to the underworld to Hades 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. Trip to afterworld went well.
Since then, a strange and barbaric custom has arisen. Murderers lived near this sacred tree, waiting for their killers. A certain man, bearing the title of the Forest King, walked gloomily around him all day long until late at night with a stealthy gait, with a naked 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 Forest King. So he lived on, guarding the sacred tree in the forest with a sword in his hand. 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 before his dangerous journey to another world. It was a sign, a warning, and confirmation of the applicant'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, himself, in turn, began to wait for his killer. They say that an ominous ghost, the guardian of the Golden Bough, still wanders along the shores of the lake, in the shadows of the forests, always waiting for the appearance of his killer.
By the way, something from the once famous temple of Diana has survived to this day, and in 2010 it seems that a grove with sacred tree. At least archaeologists assume that this is it.
It's crazy, but this custom still persisted during the time 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 his 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 fell ill with something, and after that they replaced him. Madness followed madness. The most famous thing is that he made his favorite horse Incitatus first a citizen of Rome, then a senator, and after that he even included him in the list of candidates for consul. And blood flowed like a river - he executed and killed people in droves, even his relatives. Once, for example, he executed the son of Senator Falcon... “for his refined manners and ability to behave with dignity.” His sexual promiscuity was legendary. Although historians do not consider a single fact of his madness and sexual promiscuity confirmed.
Photo from the Internet
In Rome, the cult of Diana was considered “foreign” and not widespread in patrician circles, but was popular among slaves who enjoyed 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 had healed and sent a young strong 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 never seen before. To set up a shrine to the goddess on the ship and worship her.
These ships should not have sailed in open waters. But they had to withstand enormous weight - after all, one of them was supposed to house the temple of Diana. Therefore, a low draft was needed. The ships were propelled by hundreds of oarsmen.
Photo from the Internet
These were not just boats. These were floating palaces with marble buildings, galleries, green terraces with living trees and grapes. 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 close in design to a modern one), with the help of which the flow of water into the tanks was regulated. The nails used to fasten the wooden elements were treated with a solution that protected them from corrosion.
Photo from the Internet
When in 41 A.D. 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 him. And his ships were sunk in the lake. And all documents related to their construction were destroyed. And only rumors and bad fame remained about them. However, information about how and why these ships were sunk is also not preserved. So this is all just guesswork.
Photo from the Internet
In the Middle Ages, the fashion for antiquity came and in 1444, Cardinal Prospero Colonna, knowing the local legends, organized an expedition to Lake Nemi. And the ships were indeed found. Or rather, at first only one ship was found. The Cardinal even attempted to lift it from the bottom, but only tore off a piece of the ship's bow.
A second attempt was made in 1535, and again unsuccessful. They forgot about the ships until 1885, when the British ambassador to Italy, Lord Seyvil, undertook his expedition and with hooks tore off almost all the bronze ornaments, mosaics, gold and marble decorations from the mysterious ship. Subsequently, all these items became the property of British museums and private collections. But the ships themselves remained lying on the bottom.
Photo from the Internet
And then the 20th century came. Underwater archaeologists examined the lake and discovered the hull of another ship. It lay close to the shore and was approximately 60 meters long and 20 meters wide. The ship, once discovered by Cardinal Colonna, was larger: 73 meters in length and 24 in width. The Italian government decided that they are a national treasure. And in 1927, Mussolini ordered the rise to begin.
To do this, they decided to drain the lake. To do 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 vessels appeared. Rails were laid along the bottom of the lake, and the ships were pulled to shore along them.
Photo from the Internet
The scientists' delight knew no bounds. First of all, the uniqueness of these structures, the perfection of forms and craftsmanship were noted. For example, the pine sides of one of the ships were protected from the destructive effects of water by tarred wool and triple lead lining. Many metal parts of the ships were gilded. Products made of bronze and iron had high anti-corrosion resistance. Two rotating platforms were discovered, 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 trough. 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 stands for statues.
Photo from the Internet
The device for lifting anchors also deserves surprise; its design uses a crank mechanism. In all likelihood, this is the first example of the use of a crank mechanism, apart from a hand mill.
Caligula's ships had two anchors. One of them, made of oak, is a classic design with iron legs and a lead rod. Another anchor, also made of iron and wood, was similar in design to the anchors that appeared in the Dutch fleet 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 full name Caligula. So scientists became convinced that they were the ships of the mad emperor. Some inscriptions, however, indicated that the construction of these ships (or retrofitting?) continued even after the death of Caligula.
The Italian government built a huge museum on the banks of the Nemi, where Caligula's barges were exhibited until 1944, when, during the German retreat from the city, the major, the 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 salvaged. 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 still exists, but its exhibition is very sparse.
But recently (in the summer of 2011) the museum was replenished with a new exhibit - a huge previously unknown statue of the famous Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known by his nickname Caligula, is on display. And they found it by accident. While trying to take fragments of an ancient statue out of the country, the so-called “black archaeologists” were arrested. They were “promoted” and showed where the fragments were found. Scientists went to the site and found the remaining fragments there, and in addition a bunch of other interesting things. The statue depicted a luxuriously dressed young man seated on a cushion lying on a marble throne. Caligula was recognized “by his feet” - the young man was wearing Roman military boots, caligas, because of which Caligula received his nickname (because as a child he loved to walk in them).
Photo from the Internet
In the city of Nemi, located on the lake, there is a small bust of Caligula.
This small town is also considered the “strawberry capital” of Italy.
Photo by SvetaSG
And here you can enjoy the most natural products.
Caligula remained in history as one of the three most cruel Roman emperors, who was accused of all possible sins. It is no longer possible to know how everything really happened. Only one thing is known for certain: the emperor was very fond of luxury. He even built the world's largest pleasure ships, which are now being hunted.
Caligula ruled the Roman Empire from 37 to 41 AD. For this short term he gained the reputation of a cruel leader, known for his eccentric behavior and incredible orgies. Contemporaries claim that he was obsessed with constantly maintaining his image and sometimes implemented the strangest projects, sparing no expense. So, on his orders, three huge ships were built, which launched the small lake Nemi, which was considered holy by the Romans.
At that time, these were the largest ships in the world: about 70 meters long, 20 meters wide. There were stone buildings on them - almost like on the ground. The ships were propelled by rows of oars and the wind, their masts carried silk sails purple. The ship turned with the help of four huge steering oars, each 11.3 meters long.
The ancient Roman writer and historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus describes these ships as follows:
“... ten rows of oars... the stern of each ship sparkled precious stones... they had enough baths, galleries and salons, various varieties of grapes and fruit trees grew"
Each of the ships was decorated with marble, mosaics and gilded copper tiles. The ships were equipped with plumbing, and the taps were leaking hot water. Certain parts of the water supply were richly decorated with the heads of wolves, lions, and mythical creatures.
Caligula often visited his ships, spending time in various, not always decent, activities. According to some historical accounts, Caligula's ships were scenes of orgies, murder, cruelty, music and sporting competitions.
In 41, the extravagant Caligula was killed by Praetorian conspirators. Soon after, his "pleasure ships", launched only a year earlier, were stripped of their precious items and then deliberately sunk. In subsequent centuries they were completely forgotten.
In the 15th century, the first rumors appeared about the existence of something “interesting” under the water of Lake Nemi. By 1842, the mystery of Caligula's ships had not yet been revealed. Researcher Jeremiah Donovan wrote:
“Deep in this lake lie the remains of what some call the galley of Tiberius, others of Trajan, but what actually looks like a group of buildings built on the very shore of the lake. In the 16th century, this place in the underwater bell was visited by the Architect Marchi [military engineer], followed by several others. A wooden frame was found, connected with bronze nails, covered with large slabs resting on an iron lattice.”
In the 1920s, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini ordered detailed research into the mysterious object. In 1928-32 Considerable efforts were made to drain the lake. At the bottom of the mud, two ships were found: 70 and 73 meters long, and with them many bronze objects. The discovered statues and decorations confirmed that these ships were built specifically for Emperor Caligula.
The huge structures were moved to a hangar and a museum was opened. Unfortunately, during the fighting in 1944, the museum was destroyed and both ships burned down. The surviving details and bronze decorations can be seen today in the Museo Nazionale Romano.
Half a century later, interest in Caligula and his ships arose again in Italy. In 2011, police said that “black archaeologists” found an imperial tomb near Lake Nemi and looted it. And just recently, a small lake again attracted attention. Local fishermen said that when their nets reach the bottom, they often catch ancient artifacts. Now the picturesque lake is revived again: scientists are using sonars to examine the bottom, and divers are looking for the third, largest, ship of Emperor Caligula.
The role of Caligula in history Ancient Rome is far from clear. Centuries later, it’s not easy to figure out who he was: . After all, this is a typical person of his time. Yes, eh.
Once upon a time there lived Caligula, who ruled the Roman Empire from 37 to 41 AD. During this short period of time, he gained the reputation of a cruel leader, known for his eccentric behavior and incredible orgies. Contemporaries claim that he was obsessed with constantly maintaining his image and sometimes implemented the strangest projects, sparing no expense. So, on his orders, three huge ships were built, which launched the small lake Nemi, which was considered holy by the Romans.
At that time, these were the largest ships in the world: about 70 meters long, 20 meters wide. There were stone buildings on them - almost like on the ground. Each of the ships was decorated with marble, mosaics and gilded copper tiles. The ships were equipped with plumbing and hot water flowed from the taps. Certain parts of the water supply were richly decorated with the heads of wolves, lions, and mythical creatures.
Can you imagine? I very much doubt that such ships could really exist. Let's dig deeper into this question... 
30 km south of Rome there is a small lake Nemi. This place has long been associated with the cult of Diana. Rex Nemorensis was the title of the priests of Diana of Arricia, whose temple stood near the water. One could become a priest only by stepping through blood - having plucked a golden branch in a sacred grove, the applicant had to kill his predecessor in a duel or die himself. Priest candidates, as a rule, were runaway slaves and did not live long. Suetonius reports that when a particularly cunning and powerful priest “lived in the world,” Emperor Caligula personally chose and sent an assassin to him. 
So, historical evidence: The ancient Roman writer and historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus describes these ships as follows:
“... ten rows of oars... the stern of each of the ships sparkled with precious stones... they had enough baths, galleries and salons, various varieties of grapes and fruit trees grew”
The ships were propelled by rows of oars and the wind, their masts carried purple silk sails. The ship turned with the help of four huge steering oars, each 11.3 meters long. 
Panorama of Lake Nemi.
Caligula often visited his ships, spending time in various, not always decent, activities. According to some historical accounts, Caligula's ships were scenes of orgies, murder, cruelty, music and sporting competitions. 
In 41, the extravagant Caligula was killed by Praetorian conspirators. Soon after, his "pleasure ships", launched only a year earlier, were stripped of their precious items and then deliberately sunk. In subsequent centuries they were completely forgotten. 
For centuries, locals have talked about giant ships, resting at the bottom of the lake. Fishermen often pulled out pieces of wood and small metal objects. In 1444, Cardinal Prosperro Colonna, fascinated by the then fashion for antiquity, organized an expedition to Lake Nemi, headed by the then prominent architect Battisto Alberti, who explored the sunken ship with the help of divers and even made an attempt to raise the ship. To do this, a deck was built on many wooden barrels, on which winches with ropes were installed. However, with the help of this simple device, Alberti only managed to tear off and raise to the surface a piece of the bow of the mysterious ship. A century later, in 1535, Signor Francesco de Marchi tried again to explore the ship using a primitive diving suit, but also to no avail. A wooden frame was found, connected with bronze nails, covered with large slabs resting on an iron lattice.”
Researcher Jeremiah Donovan wrote:
“Deep in this lake lie the remains of what some call the galley of Tiberius, others of Trajan, but what actually looks like a group of buildings built on the very shore of the lake. 
In 1885-1889, the British ambassador to Italy, Lord Seyvil, organized an expedition to Nemi and, using hooks, tore off many bronze items from the ship. At the beginning of the 20th century, underwater archaeologists discovered the hull of another ship. It lay close to the shore and was approximately 60 meters long and 20 meters wide. The ship, once discovered by Cardinal Colonna, was larger: 71 meters in length and 21 in width. Despite the fact that no written references to these ships were preserved in ancient writings, most historians immediately attributed these grandiose structures to the era of the mad Emperor Caligula, who allegedly used them as floating palaces. 
Bronze sculpted heads found on ships of Lake Nemi.
In the 1920s, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini ordered detailed research into the mysterious object. In 1928-32 Considerable efforts were made to drain the lake. At the bottom of the mud, two ships were found: 70 and 73 meters long, and with them many bronze objects. The discovered statues and decorations confirmed that these ships were built specifically for Emperor Caligula. 
Their preservation amazed even archaeologists. It became clear how the ancient large ships were built. Many items from that time were found and restored: pumps for pumping out water that came in during the voyage, several bronze items (animal heads with mooring rings), a statue of Caligula’s sister, the head of a Gorgon jellyfish, a talismanic hand that was nailed to the hull of the ship, the head of the she-wolf Romulus. One of the most amazing discoveries was two unique rotating platforms discovered on a small ship. Under one of the platforms there were eight bronze balls moving in a chute. Another platform rested on eight conical wooden rollers, also moving in a trough. 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 stands for statues. 
And on one of the lead pipes of the small ship an inscription was found: “Property of Caius Caesar Augustus Germanicus” - the full name of Caligula. There is no doubt about the owner. 
Among the finds were clay pipes that supported the floor and allowed it to be heated. This proves that large ships were equipped with sophisticated heating systems throughout the ship. During the excavations, a bronze tap was found. He controlled the flow of water into the reservoirs. From there it was supplied through lead pipes to various needs. 
A lot of nails were also found, with the help of which wooden elements were fastened; they were treated with a solution, which protected them from corrosion. 
The ships were sunk under Emperor Nero or after his death, during civil wars. 
The huge structures were moved to a hangar and a museum was opened. Unfortunately, during the fighting in 1944, the museum was destroyed and both ships burned down. The surviving details and bronze decorations can be seen today in the Museo Nazionale Romano. 
Caligula's ship in the museum, 1932 
The head of a jellyfish, found among the remains of one of Caligula's ships.
Half a century later, interest in Caligula and his ships arose again in Italy. In 2011, police said that “black archaeologists” found an imperial tomb near Lake Nemi and looted it. And just recently, a small lake again attracted attention. Local fishermen said that when their nets reach the bottom, they often catch ancient artifacts. Now the picturesque lake is revived again: scientists are using sonars to examine the bottom, and divers are looking for the third, largest, ship of Emperor Caligula. 
Benito Mussolini at the opening of the museum
One of the most dramatic pages in the history of archeology was discovered in 1444. That year, Cardinal Prospero Colonna heard that at the bottom of Lake Nemi, 16 miles southeast of Rome, lay the remains of two ships. He was an enlightened humanist and, like many representatives of the Renaissance, had a keen interest in classical antiquities. Located close to more large lake Albino Lake Nemi was surrounded by an aura of legends. According to legend, this is where the sacred grove and tomb of the goddess Diana were located.
The cardinal learned that for many years, fishermen here had caught their nets on wrecks and sometimes pulled small objects out of the water. Wooden debris was used for fuel, and metal parts were melted down and used to make tools (for example, boilies for fishing) or weapons.
Colonna commissioned one of the most prominent architects of the time, Leon Battista Alberti, to examine the remains of the ships. With the help of divers, Alberti tried to bring them to the surface. He installed a gate on a raft floating in the lake, and divers secured ropes on sunken ships. But it all ended with the bow of one of the ships breaking off. Alberti abandoned further attempts and returned to his main occupation - the construction of buildings.
About a century later new try The recovery of the sunken ships was undertaken by Francesco de Marchi, who personally examined them using a primitive device for launching under water. This device, invented by Guillaume of Lorraine, was a wooden bell fastened with metal hoops that covered the upper half of the diver’s torso. The brave de Marchi had to endure a lot during the descent. His nose began to bleed due to the increase in pressure during the descent, he became entangled in the ropes to which the bell was attached, but most of all he was annoyed by a flock of fish scurrying around him, which nibbled at the naked parts of the daredevil’s body and did not leave him behind, no matter how hard he tried he drives them away. Moreover, the water was so dark that de Marchi could not see anything through the window in the wall of the bell.
Attempts by Alberti and de Marchi and several later explorers to raise the ships only led to their further destruction. Many ship parts were recovered to the surface. Wooden beams were stolen by local residents for fuel, side decorations and statues, tiles and mosaic fragments disappeared into private collections
It was possible to raise ancient ships only in the last 20th century. Italian archaeologists, using a drainage tunnel built by the ancient Romans, drained water from Lake Nemi. Using a four-track rail track laid on the muddy bottom of the lake, archaeologists pulled the hulls of ancient ships ashore. A museum was built around them.
So, the ships became available for study. Archaeologists, first of all, were struck by the elegance of the shape of the hulls, although the ships were very wide, by the skillful and careful work of ancient shipbuilders. The hull's planking, made of pine planks, was painted with cinnabar, covered with a layer of tarred wool, and finally with three layers of lead sheets.
The larger of the ships was about 70 meters long and about 20 meters wide. The other was slightly smaller. The vessels were steered by 11-meter-long steering oars. On a large ship there were four such rudders, on a small one - two. Apparently, two additional steering oars on a large ship were installed at the bow to control the movement when the ship was moving stern first. Each of the ships had two auxiliary keels located on either side of the main one. Most of the metal parts were gold plated. Bronze and iron parts turned out to be surprisingly resistant to corrosion, since they were made from particularly pure metal.
The hulls of the ships were preserved quite well, but all the superstructures were completely destroyed. This is partly due to the enormous weight of marble, bronze and other finishing materials that were used to decorate the superstructures. A significant contribution to their destruction was made by previous attempts to raise ships to the surface.
After draining the lake, many interesting objects related to ships were found. However, these finds did not bring final clarity to the question of how the ships were set in motion. At first it was thought that both ships were rowing galleys. Measurements taken by one of the experts inside the hull showed that the ship was equipped with one row of oars, with four or five people rowing each oar. The small craft was apparently towed behind a larger ship or behind boats with oarsmen.
Among the finds were two turntables rotating on small rollers located in a circle. Under one of the platforms, the rollers were made in the form of eight bronze balls. Each ball had two stops on which the platform protrusions rested. Under another platform, the rollers consisted of eight conical wooden rollers. The purpose of the platforms could not be determined. Perhaps they served as bases for sculptures.
Strictly speaking, these rollers cannot yet be called ball and roller bearings. However, nothing like this yet long time was not known. Another technical innovation discovered on board ships from Lake Nemi was a multi-bucket water lift that acted as a bilge pump. At the top, this pump had a horizontal shaft. A drum was mounted on it, through which a chain with buckets passed. At the ends of the shaft there were flywheels with handles. The significance of this find lies in the fact that it represents the earliest famous examples the use of a crank mechanism in structures other than hand mills.
Two anchors belonging to ancient ships were also found. One - the classic type - was made of oak, the legs were bound with iron, and the stem was made of lead. Apparently the wooden anchor had to be weighted down so it could sink to the bottom. The other anchor was made of iron and covered with wood. It had a movable rod. Anchor rods of this type were not found in the history of shipbuilding until the 18th century, when they were reinvented in Holland.
Based on the inscriptions, archaeologists have established that the unique ships were built around the middle of the first century AD. Thirteen tiles from the remains of the superstructure are marked with the mark of one of the slaves of Domitius Afer, the famous orator. This orator was consul under Caligula and died in 59 AD. Therefore, we can think that the ship was built earlier than this date.
The inscription on a lead pipe found in the wreckage reads: "Property of Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus." And this is the full name of Caligula, who ruled from 37 to 41 AD. At the same time, indications were also found about the reign of Caligula's successor, Claudius (41-54). Probably, the construction of ships began during the short reign of Caligula, and ended under Claudius.
There is reason to think that these ships were not used for entertainment, but rather were floating temples. The exact time and reasons for the sinking of the ships are unknown. However, researchers believe that either during the reign of Nero or during the civil war, which broke out after his death, the ships were robbed and left to the mercy of fate. There was no one to pump out the holds, the ships gradually filled with water and sank.
The remains of the ancient ships were finally destroyed in the spring of 1944. The fascists, who had recently demonstrated their attitude towards culture by setting fire to 80 thousand books and manuscripts from the library of the Royal Society of Naples, also burned the museum on the shores of Lake Nemi.
Now the museum has been restored. In it you can see models of unique ships one-fifth life-size, along with the few shipwrecks that survived the fire.
Lake Nemi is located among the Alban Hills, 25 km south of Rome in the crater of an ancient volcano.
In ancient centuries (BC), Nemi was a popular place for entertainment and sanatorium holidays for the Romans.
The forests that had not yet been cut down were full of game, which is probably why the Romans built a temple to the goddess Diana, the patroness of hunters.
During the dark period of Mussolini's reign, two ships were raised from the lake, which, according to historians, could have belonged to Emperor Caligula, who became famous (thanks to the film of the same name) for his drinking and debauchery - apparently that is why, after his death, the liberal part of Roman society sent the ships to the bottom of Lake Nemi .
Currently, the city of Nemi on the shores of the lake of the same name is widely known in narrow circles of Schengen visa holders for its strawberry festival (fragola), which is mistakenly called the strawberry festival (fragole).
The strawberry festival (sagra delle fragole) is held in Nemi every year at the end of May - beginning of June.
The festival program can be found on the visitnemi website.
In the remaining forests along the shores of Lake Nemi, porcini mushrooms (porcini) grow, which can be found on the shelves of Nemi in dried form, and in Nemi restaurants you will be offered pasta with porcini mushrooms - as a local specialty.
I can’t say that pasta with porcini mushrooms soaked from dry state is a super food, since I still prefer the same thing fresh in northern Italy (), where there are more forests and the climate is more suitable for their growth.
But I appreciated the strawberries in Nemi: fragrant, sweet, large.
Of course, now no one is looking for strawberries in the forest - they are grown farms in the Castelli Romani region, and is also partially imported from neighboring Albania.
Also in the city of Nemi there is a very iconic and famous sausage and lard store.
Located next to the fountain with a statue of the Goddess Diana with a bow (from which they shoot).
Today in the store a small group of tourists from Ukraine was seen eating sausages and lard while their tired guide sat on a chair, driving away flies.
How much time to budget for Nemi
It is enough to allocate two hours to explore the city and have lunch.
Restaurants in Nemi are located on the main street and all have a belvedere (view) of Lake Nemi.
Prices are 10-20% higher than average in Castelli Romani.
There are no beaches on Lake Nemi.
Castelli Romani Hotels
When visiting Castelli Romani it is more convenient to stay at major cities: Either come here from Rome on a day excursion, or stay in Albano Laziale.