Although officially in the Province of Siena in Tuscany, Lago di Chiusi runs along the border with Tuscany and Umbria. It has been a source of rivalry between the two regions in times past, each claiming it as their own.
Lago di Chiusi
Lago di Chiusi has a surface area of 3.87 square kilometres (2.4 square miles) and nestles in a small valley between hills. The area surrounding the lake has several Roman and Etruscan archaeological sites. There are some Etruscan tombs that you can see on the roads leading to the lake.
Natural Habitat for Birds
The lake acts as a nature reserve and is quite unspoiled with lots of wonderful habits for wildfowl – as you can see from my friend the cormorant. He posed very nicely for me, stretching his wings to allow the sun to dry him off. The lake attracts a lot of migratory birds and is a good place to spend some time if you are a birdwatcher.
Fishing on Lago di Chiusi
Fishing is allowed on the lake with the purchase of a license. The lake is full of fish, and fishing is a popular pastime here in Italy with catches taken home for the table. You can eat the fish caught from the lake at the restaurants down by the lake side (Ristorante Pesce D’Oro and Ristorante Bar Da Gino). There is another restaurant a short distance from the lake (La Fattoria). People take small boats out onto the lake to fish.
Views from Lago di Chiusi
Because it sits low between the hills there are some beautiful views looking up at the villages and towns that look down on the lake.
For example, my cormorant chum had a great view of the town of Villastrada in Umbria up on the hillside. I wrote about Villastrada in an another blog. You can drive from Lago di Chiusi towards Villastrada, passed the big Margheriti Nursery, and follow the lake on your left hand side and see how it and the view around it changes. By the way the Margheriti Nursery is massive, look out for it on your right from the road.
Villastrada is connected by road to the village of Vaiano. This final image looking past the fallen tree shows Vaiano with its enviable view of the lake.
All in all, the lake is a must see during a visit to Umbria (or Tuscany!).
Purchase Images
Check out my images from towns and villages in Umbria at my Pictorem and RedBubble 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.
You can follow me on Facebook.
Thank you for reading!
Leave a Reply