What is Nemi known for?

Wild strawberries grown on the inner slopes of the crater, celebrated each June at the Sagra delle Fragole since 1922. Two imperial ceremonial vessels recovered from the lake bed 1929-1932 and lost to fire in 1944, the museum reopened in 1953. Federal sanctuary of the Latin League dedicated to the goddess of the hunt, one of the major cult sites of pre-Roman Latium.

Nemi is a comune in the province of Roma, Lazio region of Italy, about 32 kilometers from Roma.

Lazio · Roma

Nemi

The smallest comune in the Castelli Romani, perched at 521 meters above a volcanic crater lake the Romans called the mirror of Diana.

521m

Elevation

32 km / 20 mi

Nearest hub (Roma)

1,877

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Nemi sits at 521 meters on the rim of a volcanic crater, the smallest of the Castelli Romani and thirty kilometers southeast of Rome. The lake below was the Speculum Dianae, the mirror of Diana, with a sanctuary on its northern shore that covered around 45,000 square meters and drew pilgrims from across Latium. Emperor Caligula built two ceremonial ships on the lake, ninety meters of timber and bronze that sat on the water until they sank. Mussolini drained part of the lake between 1929 and 1932 to recover them. They were destroyed by fire in 1944, almost certainly by retreating German troops. The Museo delle Navi Romane, built in 1940 to hold them, now shows scaled reconstructions and salvaged fragments. Palazzo Ruspoli, a ninth-century castle restored by Valadier, anchors the centro storico. The wild strawberries grown on the inner slopes of the crater are sold from stalls along Via Roma and celebrated each June at the Sagra delle Fragole.

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Gallery

9 photos · scroll →

Known for

Palazzo Ruspoli
Ninth-century castle of the Counts of Tuscolo, restored by Valadier, with cylindrical tower and hanging garden over the lake.
Museo delle Navi Romane
Lakeshore museum built in 1940 for Caligula's two recovered ships, destroyed by fire in 1944, now housing scaled models and fragments.
Santuario di Diana Nemorense
Remains of the federal sanctuary on the lake's northern shore, once 45,000 square meters of temple, porticoes and theater.
Lago di Nemi
Small volcanic crater lake 25 meters above Lago Albano, accessible by a steep road down through chestnut woods.
Belvedere di Nemi
Terrace at the top of the centro storico looking straight down into the crater, the classic photograph of the village.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September into October are the dry months on the crater rim, when the wild strawberries ripen and the lake holds its color. The Sagra delle Fragole runs the first Sunday of June and draws thousands. July and August push the basin into the low thirties; the centro storico stays cooler at 521 meters than the coast or the city, but weekends fill with day-trippers from Rome. November through March is quiet. Many trattorie close or shorten hours. Winter mist rises off the lake on still mornings and the temple ruins on the northern shore see almost no one.