| This bathing volcanic
lake and its shores where it is possible to walk along, hosted
an human settlement prior to the foundation of Rome.
A village of lake-dwellings of the 15th century B. C. has been
found under the lake’s water; and there are still important
ruins of Roman age, among which: two nymphaea, the Doric nymphaeum,
and the Bergantino, very important ruins represented in Piranesi
drawings; a little port; and a quay made of great blocks of
stone still witnessing the existence of important villas on
the lake’s shores.
The Doric nymphaeum consists of a squared room dug in the rocks
covered by a barrel vault that can be dated back to the 1st
century B.C. Probably this structure was part of one of the
villas built in this territory. Its walls have a double series
of niches covered by a Doric frieze, supported by corbels and
with a rich cornice.
The Bergantino nymphaeum was undoubtedly built according to
the wish of Domitian copying that of Tiberius in Sperlonga.
It was a natural cave adapted to nymphaeum by providing a series
of pools and rooms with regulated temperature and walls decorated
with different styles. The covering of the vaults was made of
false rocks and that of the walls with marble slabs. The circular
pool’s mosaic floor with pieces of stones of different
colours represented sea scenes. Several groups of statues decorated
this imperial nymphaeum (Polifemo, Scilla, The Centaurus).
The most important structure is undoubtedly the outlet of the
Lake. It was built in the 4th century B. C. to regulate the
water’s level; it drains after a long underground path
in the place called ‘Le Mole’ of Castel Gandolfo”,
because of the existence of some ancient mills which utilized
the force of the water coming from the underground path.
The Delphic oracle had predicted the victory of Romans on the
city of Veio if the water of the Lake would reach the sea, and
therefore the Romans in 398 – 397 A.C. built this huge
outlet which has a length of 1800 m and an height of 1.80 m,
and it is located at 128 m under the volcanic surface. The outlet
has five vents which simplified its construction and that were
used to water the nearby grounds. In 1960 some sports facilities
were built to host the Olympian games and several competitions
took place during these games.
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