Lake Bolsena

Lake Bolsena fills a great volcanic depression in the hills of Tuscia. The Romans called it Lacus Volsinii, after an ancient Etruscan city. Two islands rise from its southern waters, formed by eruptions beneath the lake after the depression itself had taken shape. Rain, runoff and underground water feed the lake, which drains southward through the River Marta. The ancient Via Cassia ran beside its shores.