Palazzo Monaldeschi
The fortress is open to visitors and offers a splendid lake view; inside, the Territorial Museum of Lake Bolsena has been set up.
The imposing Rocca was built in several phases between the 11th and 14th centuries, during the period when Bolsena was repeatedly contested between the great Orvieto families of the Monaldeschi, of the Guelph faction, and the Filippeschi, of the Ghibelline faction.
The Rocca has a trapezoidal layout and four different towers, which testify to the construction phases and the original Gothic structure. The towers are crowned with battlements and serrated corbels, while on the lower floor the remains of the fortifications commissioned by Pope Adrian IV (1154–1159) to defend Bolsena from attacks by Frederick Barbarossa are still visible.
The stone blocks used, parallelepiped in shape, come from the ancient Roman city of Volsinii. The walls of Adrian IV enclosed the castle area and the village along the Via Cassia, excluding the church of Santa Cristina, located further from the town center.
At the foot of the Rocca stands Palazzo Monaldeschi, a massive rectangular building that houses a branch of the museum, with new sections dedicated to archaeology and medieval and Renaissance ceramics.
Plan Your Visit
Storyteller of the beauty, art, history and culture of Lake Bolsena and its surroundings, territories where I grew up and which I can share with the professionalism and passion of a local tour guide.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
Telling the story of this land is not just about unveiling secrets and frescoes, it is about returning the light that this lake and this town give me every day, with a devotion that transcends time.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
My teaching profession has refined my ability to communicate. You cannot teach or illustrate art and creation without sharing a passion for beauty with others. A guide is not a book—it is the synthesis of all books and meaningful experiences from which they have drawn their knowledge, in order to share history and stories with everyone.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
I believe being an ambassador for the place where you were born is a great privilege. Leading Italian and international visitors through the story of Bolsena's artistic, natural and cultural wonders is a stimulating experience that enriches your own knowledge while sharing it with others.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
Telling Bolsena's thousand-year history through dedicated guided tours means giving the town back to its people and helping visitors discover our remarkable cultural heritage.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
