Nemi: Museo delle Navi Romane e Sagra delle Fragole

Description:

• Lake Nemi is surrounded by a thick wood. The ancient Romans called it Diana's Mirror and there is a sanctuary on its banks dedicated to the goddess of hunting. It is said that the Emperor Caligula had two ships built, lavishly decorated with bronze statues, mosaic floors and marble columns, intended as a gift to the goddess. The ships were discovered in the 1930s and recovered soon afterwards, only to be destroyed in a fire during the war. The museum exhibits models of the ships and various salvaged objects, such as the anchors, amphors and artefacts from Diana's Temple. Great quantities of wild strawberries can be picked from May to June in the woods between the museum and Nemi and there's a Strawberry Festival on the first Sunday in June when the fruit is distributed free of charge.
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