Discover Nemi

Nemi is a comune of about 1,829 people in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in Lazio, set almost at the centre of the Alban Hills at 521 metres above sea level and overlooking Lake Nemi, a volcanic crater lake. It is 6 kilometres north-west of Velletri and about 30 kilometres south-east of Rome, and it is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.

It is very small. With an extent of 7.31 square kilometres it is the second smallest comune in the Castelli Romani, after Colonna, and its boundaries embrace the entire crater of the lake.

Its name is older than any settlement. It derives from the Latin nemus, "holy wood" — and in antiquity the area had no town at all. What existed was the grove, and in it one of the most famous of Roman cults and temples: the Temple of Diana Nemorensis.

Its modern fame rests on what was found in the water. Lake Nemi is celebrated as the place where two Roman ceremonial ships of the age of the emperor Caligula were recovered and kept in the Museo delle Navi Romane until their destruction in 1944.

And it has a quieter local identity: Nemi is known for growing strawberries, and for the festival held for them every year on the first Sunday of June.

What were the Nemi ships? Several very large and costly luxury barges built by Caligula for use on the lake, possibly in connection with the cult of Diana Nemorensis. One was a shrine designed to be towed; the other was a pleasure boat with buildings on it. After Caligula's overthrow they were scuttled.

How were they recovered? By lowering the lake level, using underground canals that had been dug by the ancient Romans. The excavation was led by Guido Ucelli, under orders from Mussolini — one of many attempts to relate himself to the Roman emperors — and concluded in 1932. Accounts differ on the start year, the Italian record giving 1927 and the English 1929.

Did anyone try earlier? Yes. They were rediscovered in the Renaissance, and Leon Battista Alberti is reported to have tried to raise them by roping them to buoyant barrels. It failed, because of extensive rotting.

What happened to them? They were destroyed by fire on 31 May 1944.

Who burned them? It is disputed. Either defeated German forces retreating from Italy at the end of the war, or accidentally by squatters taking refuge in the museum building.

Can I still see anything? Yes. The remains of the hulls survive at the Museo delle Navi Romane in Nemi, and surviving remnants from the excavations plus replicas are displayed in the Museo Nazionale Romano at Palazzo Massimo in Rome.

Where does the name come from? From the Latin nemus, "holy wood".

Was there a town here in antiquity? No. The area had no town; the grove was the site of the Temple of Diana Nemorensis, one of the most famous of Roman cults and temples.

How old is the temple? It was erected around 300 BC, though worship of Diana at Nemi flourished from at least the sixth century BC.

How big is the comune? 7.31 square kilometres and 1,829 people — the second smallest in the Castelli Romani after Colonna. Its boundaries embrace the entire crater of the lake.

When is the strawberry festival? The first Sunday of June, every year.