Viale Monumentale Colesanti

For about a century and a half, Bolsena’s historic center has been connected to the lake shore by a grand tree-lined avenue, 500 meters long, flanked on both sides by 66 plane trees, which have now become monumental, and 4 horse chestnuts that, taken together, constitute a cultural asset of naturalistic significance.

On July 28, 1871, although the work to create the avenue was still ongoing, the entire straight stretch was equipped with lighting that was as temporary as it was spectacular, on the occasion of the festivities for Santa Cristina, patron saint of Bolsena. Two days later, the town council – assisted by a technical assessment drafted by agronomist Benedetto Leoncini – approved the allocation of an adequate sum for the purchase and planting of trees that would line the road margins “on both sides,” interspersed with comfortable benches for citizens to rest.

On that occasion, 180 trees were planted (20 of which in the square where the avenue ended toward the lake), mainly plane trees, horse chestnuts and, to a lesser extent, maples, imported from the town of Collodi in Tuscany. The choice fell essentially on the plane tree (Platanus hybrida or acerifolia), as it is a tree species of rapid growth and large size (up to 40 meters in height), capable of offering exceptional shady coverage between late spring and early autumn, and for this reason considered among the plants “…most suitable for beautifying public avenues and promenades.”

The work was officially inaugurated on September 20, 1873, and immediately became one of the most admired urban developments in Lazio. Currently along the avenue there are 24 plane trees of enormous size (between 30 and 40 meters in height), 14 of which have a circumference at the base between 4 and 5 meters.