CASTIGLIONE DEL LAGO- by Luciano Festuccia – The Heart of Trasimeno

With its unique geographical position Castiglione del Lago is at the centre of an area of particular interest for its natural resources, art, history and tourism. Very close to the border between Umbria and Tuscany, it is a short distance from important cities such as Florence, Siena, Arezzo and Cortona, and in Umbria Perugia, Assisi, Todi, Spello and Spoleto are all within little more than an hour’s drive. But the Trasimeno area itself is well worth a holiday for its rich artistic and architectural treasures, amongst which are the Palazzo Ducale and the medieval fortress of Castiglione del Lago. With its excellent natural resources, it is part of the Parco del Trasimeno, the largest Umbrian park, a protected area centred around Polvese Island, within the territory of Castiglione del Lago. Trasimeno is also renowned for its gastronomy and its wine, with grapes and olives having been cultivated in the area since Etruscan times, and from then on production has never ceased. Together with other traditional products such as the fagiolina or small bean and those connected with the lake, a consequent typical cuisine has developed uniting the flavours of the land with those of fresh water fish.