May 27, 2018
Lago di Vico is a caldera lake and one of the smallest of the lakes in northern Lazio region. It is also one of the highest major Italian lakes, with an altitude of 510 m. The lake is surrounded by the Cimini Hills, in particular by the Fogliano (965 m) and Venere (851 m) mountains, and is part of the Lake Vico Natural Reserve.
According to legend, the lake was created by Hercules, who defied the local inhabitants by wielding his club. When he did this, a stream sprang up and formed the lake.
The lake is drained by the River Vicano. Before the construction of a tunnel by the Etruscans, the lake was probably deeper than today, the Monte Venere constituting an island within it.
The area is famous for its extensive beech forest, which is one of the most southerly in Europe. The elevation in addition to the shelter of the slopes of the crater create cool enough conditions for the continued survival of the trees. A large part of the northern side of the crater is a nature reserve to protect this forest.
Not only is the forested area around Lago di Vico quite wild in nature, but also supports a variety of wildlife, including the pine marten, Eurasian badger and fox, in addition to a variety of fish and bird species.
(Narrative excerpted from Wikipedia)