Today I want to talk about a beautiful town, Castiglione del Lago in Umbria, Italy.
Castiglione del Lago in Umbria
Castiglione del Lago from a Distance
From the back terrace of my house I can see Castiglione del Lago 15 kilometres away (just over nine miles). It sits out over Lago Trasimeno. I took this photograph from my back terrace using a zoom lens. You can clearly see Castiglione del Lago on the edge of the lake.
Castiglione del Lago is Why I Bought My House in Italy
It was this town that first attracted me to the idea of buying a house in Italy. Almost 20 years ago I had a holiday just outside the town. That led to my then husband and I buying a house after spending a day with a Castiglione-based estate agent. I know, I know, most people buy souvenirs not houses!
Bustling Tourist Destination
The town has changed a lot since I first saw it. Although it was a key tourist destination even then, it still had a slightly sleepy feel to it. As with most places shops etc were closed from Saturday afternoon to Monday afternoon. Now, places are open most days of the week. There are many more shops and restaurants and the main street is lined with delicatessens trying to entice you in to try and, hopefully, buy their wares. Market day is on a Wednesday and during tourist season this is a big bustling affair with the main street full of stalls. One of our favourite stalls sells dried fruit, nuts and olives – yummy!
History of the Town
Time for some history! Castiglione del Lago is in the Province of Perugia in Umbria and sits right on the edge of Lago Trasimeno. In fact it used to be a fourth island (there are now three) but over time the gap between the island and the shore was gradually filled and built up on. The town has had a chequered past, having been caught up in disputes between various warring parties. For example the Etruscans versus the Romans and the Tuscans versus the Perugians.
It is a walled town with four main entrances and has a large fortress (Rocca) that is now used for outdoor concerts and theatrical events. The town sprawls out beyond the walls and covers quite a large area with some 15, 680 inhabitants. You can read more about the town here.
Festivals and Events
Castiglione has a small air field on the outskirts of the town and events are held there annually. These include ‘Colour the Skies’, a kite festival that is held at the beginning of May. There are also light aircraft and hot air balloon festivals in April. We get a good view of the hot air ballons from our house!
I leave you with a video with wonderful images from the kite festival – my favourites are the frog and the witch; which one is your favourite?
Purchase Images
Check out my images from Castiglione del Lago and other towns and villages in Umbria at my Art Heroes (Europe), Pictorem (USA and Canada) and RedBubble (worldwide) stores.
Before you go
My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.
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Thank you for reading!
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