A singular combination to enjoy the wonders of Rocca Monaldeschi starting from the Panorama and, for those who wish, to visit the Castle which houses the Aquarium, the Museum and the Archaeological area.
The Rocca can be visited and from it you can enjoy a splendid Panorama of the lake; inside the Territorial Museum of Lake Bolsena has been set up with a rich section of Geology, Nature and Archaeology, the Aquarium and, in the external courtyard, Steles and Epigraphs.
The imposing fortress was built several times between the 11th and 14th centuries, a period in which Bolsena was dominated several times by the Guelph family of Monaldeschi; enemies of the Ghibelline party were the Filippeschi.
Leaving the fortress you can see the mighty Rectangular Mole of the Monaldeschi palace below: it houses a detached branch of the Territorial Museum of Lake Bolsena with a New Archaeological Section and medieval and Renaissance ceramics .
In the Palace you can also visit the section dedicated to the Ars Wetana (the tradition of Orvieto lace) and the one on the wrecks that emerged from Lake Bolsena, chronologically included between the Bronze Age and the last conflict world.
– AQUARIUS
The route includes a nature walk among various aquariums containing typically torrential species such as freshwater crayfish, barbel and trout. Amphibians present in our territory such as red frogs, newts, tree frogs and toads. And again the stickleback, a typical species of the medium river environment, a larger two-valve mollusc species, the Anodonta.
Continuing the walk along the river environment you find yourself in front of an Aquarium of approximately 4 meters which represents a section of the stream;
in this aquarium a natural slope has been recreated which favors the current and the typical jumps of the initial part of the river, where species such as trout, roach, chub, barbel, shrimp, eel and the crab, find their ideal environment.
“Tactile Tanks” as a unique personal experience: touch prawns, eels, but above all the large fish in the large tank. With the help of the operators, it is possible to become familiar with some more manageable species.
The last tank in this room houses the killer shrimp.
We continue with the swamp which is home to snakes and turtles
– MUSEUM
The Territorial Museum of Lake Bolsena is set up in the Rocca Monaldeschì and is part of the larger Museum System of Lake Bolsena
The Lapidarium is housed in the courtyard, where funerary and votive epigraphs from the Roman era are displayed.
The entrance to the museum is dominated by a large Sarcophagus in Greek marble; It dates back to the 2nd/3rd century AD. C. and is decorated in relief with scenes of the cult of Bacchus and the love between the god and Ariadne
In the first part of the Archaeological section you can observe finds from the Bronze and Iron Ages mainly coming from the lakebeds, and in many cases perfectly preserved.
Finds from the Necropolis of Capriol (late 8th-mid 7th century BC) and from a chamber tomb from the Melona area (3rd century BC) belong to the Etruscan age.
Leaving the Rocca Monaldeschi, the visit to the museum continues in the nearby Palazzo Monaldeschi where you can admire the Archaeological section and the Medieval section with medieval and Renaissance ceramics.
Aquarium, Castle and Museum
Monaldeschi Square
Bolsena (Viterbo)
Lazio – Italy
Website info (Castle)
Website info (Aquarium)
Facebook page (Aquarium)
Website info (Museum)
What to do see where to go in the province in the surrounding area near places to visit weekends Aquariums Attractions Archeology archaeological Castles Historical Buildings Museums Zoology