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Lake Giulianello in Cori: the last natural lake at the foot of the Lepini Mountains
Lake Giulianello lies hidden among tufa hills in the countryside of Cori, at the foot of the Lepini Mountains. It is the last survivor of three lakes that once occupied the basin before ascending the southern ridges of the Vulcano Laziale (Colli Albani). Small, quiet, surrounded by woods — the kind of place where you can spend a few hours in peace.
A story of three lakes and those who drained them
In ancient times there were three bodies of water here: the lacus vetus, the Pescara lake and the Giulianello lake. The first disappeared as far back as antiquity — perhaps at the hands of the Volsci, who built a system of underground tunnels to channel the waters toward Giulianello. The Pescara lake was drained by the Borghese family in the eighteenth century to obtain land for growing wheat. Of the three, only Lake Giulianello remains today: small, natural and sub-elliptical in shape.
A natural monument since 2007
It has a surface area of about 11 hectares and reaches a depth of 10 metres. It has been a natural monument since 2007. The surrounding woods include chestnut, downy oak, Turkey oak and hornbeam trees; poplars and white willows grow along the banks. The lake is a stopover and wintering site for wetland birdlife and a historic grazing area used by local shepherds.
