Lake Nemi
Encyclopedia
Lake Nemi is a small circular volcanic lake in the Lazio region of Italy
30 km (18.6 mi) south of Rome
, taking its name from Nemi
, the largest town in the area, that overlooks it from a height.
. These ships were very large and technologically advanced for their time.
The lake is sacred to the goddess Diana
and the site of the festival Nemoralia
. Emperors Caligula
and Tiberius
sailed Lake Nemi not merely to cool off in summer, but to assert themselves as Nemorensis, rulers aligning with the Stars, wedded to Earth's perpetual life-force.
At the Hotel Diana on the Western edge of the crater at Via Nemorense, there is a fine exhibit of the archeological excavation of the late 1920s which exposed the enormous structure which Caligula had ordered built.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
30 km (18.6 mi) south of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, taking its name from Nemi
Nemi
Nemi is a town and comune in the province of Rome , in the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Nemi, a volcanic crater lake. It is 6 km NW of Velletri and about 30 km southeast of Rome....
, the largest town in the area, that overlooks it from a height.
Archaeology and history
The lake is most famous for its sunken Roman shipsNemi ships
The Nemi Ships were ships built by the Roman emperor Caligula in the 1st century AD at Lake Nemi. Although the purpose of the ships is only speculated on, the larger ship was essentially an elaborate floating palace, which contained quantities of marble, mosaic floors, heating and plumbing such as...
. These ships were very large and technologically advanced for their time.
The lake is sacred to the goddess Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
and the site of the festival Nemoralia
Nemoralia
The festival of Nemoralia was celebrated by the ancient Romans either on the 13-15 August or on the August Full Moon, in honor of the goddess Diana...
. Emperors Caligula
Caligula
Caligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
and Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
sailed Lake Nemi not merely to cool off in summer, but to assert themselves as Nemorensis, rulers aligning with the Stars, wedded to Earth's perpetual life-force.
At the Hotel Diana on the Western edge of the crater at Via Nemorense, there is a fine exhibit of the archeological excavation of the late 1920s which exposed the enormous structure which Caligula had ordered built.
The lake in art and literature
- Lake Nemi is also a painting by American artist George InnessGeorge InnessGeorge Inness was an American landscape painter; born in Newburgh, New York; died at Bridge of Allan in Scotland. His work was influenced, in turn, by that of the old masters, the Hudson River school, the Barbizon school, and, finally, by the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg, whose spiritualism...
. - Muriel SparkMuriel SparkDame Muriel Spark, DBE was an award-winning Scottish novelist. In 2008 The Times newspaper named Spark in its list of "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945".-Early life:...
's 1976 novel The TakeoverThe Takeover (novel)The Takeover is a novel by the Scottish author Muriel Spark. It was first published in 1976.It is set in Nemi, Italy between 1973 and 1975. The author had moved to Italy as a permanent resident in the late 1960s.-Plot summary:...
is set in three fictitious villas overlooking Lake Nemi. - Lake Nemi inspired the first name of Norwegian comic character Nemi MontoyaNemi (comic strip)Nemi is a Norwegian comic strip, written and drawn by Lise Myhre. It made its first appearance in 1997 under the title Den svarte siden...
.
See also
- Alban HillsAlban HillsThe Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located southeast of Rome and about north of Anzio.The dominant peak is Monte Cavo. There are two small calderas which contain lakes, Lago Albano and Lake Nemi...
- Lake of AlbanoLake of AlbanoLake Albano is a small volcanic crater lake in the Alban Hills of Lazio, at the foot of Monte Cavo, southeast of Rome. Overlooking it is Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope has a villa....
- NemiNemiNemi is a town and comune in the province of Rome , in the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Nemi, a volcanic crater lake. It is 6 km NW of Velletri and about 30 km southeast of Rome....
- Genzano di RomaGenzano di RomaGenzano di Roma is a town and comune in the province of Rome, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is one of the Castelli Romani, at a distance of 29 km from Rome, on the Alban Hills.-History:The origin of the name Genzano is still disputed...
- AricciaAricciaAriccia is a town and comune in the Province of Rome, central Italy. It is in the Alban Hills of the Lazio region and could be considered an extension of Rome's southeastern suburbs...
- Rex NemorensisRex NemorensisThe rex Nemorensis was a priest of the goddess Diana at Aricia in Italy, by the shores of Lake Nemi, where she was known as Diana Nemorensis. The priesthood played a major role in the mythography of J.G...
- Diana NemorensisDiana NemorensisDiana Nemorensis, "Diana of Nemi" also known as “Diana of the Wood”, was an Italic form of the goddess who became Hellenised during the fourth century BCE and conflated with Artemis. Her sanctuary was to be found on the northern shore of Lake Nemi beneath the cliffs of the modern city Nemi...
- Nemi shipsNemi shipsThe Nemi Ships were ships built by the Roman emperor Caligula in the 1st century AD at Lake Nemi. Although the purpose of the ships is only speculated on, the larger ship was essentially an elaborate floating palace, which contained quantities of marble, mosaic floors, heating and plumbing such as...