Lake of Albano
Encyclopedia
Lake Albano is a small volcanic crater lake
in the Alban Hills
of Lazio, at the foot of Monte Cavo
, 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) southeast of Rome
. Overlooking it is Castel Gandolfo
, where the Pope
has a villa.
It was known to the Roman Empire
as Albanus Lacus. In its vicinity stood Alba Longa
.
The lake is the deepest, about 170 m (557.7 ft), in Lazio. It is about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) long by 2.3 km (1.4 mi) wide, formed by the overlapping union of two volcanic craters, an origin indicated by the ridge in its center, which rises to a depth of 70 m (229.7 ft). Plutarch reports that in 406 BC the lake surged over the surrounding hills, despite there being no rain nor tributaries into the lake to explain it (Life of Camillus). The ensuing flood destroyed fields and vineyards, eventually pouring into the sea.
It hosted the canoeing
and rowing
events of the 1960 Summer Olympic Games that were held at Rome. The lane marking system developed for these events is commonly referred to as the Albano buoy system
.
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
in the Alban Hills
Alban Hills
The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located southeast of Rome and about north of Anzio.The dominant peak is Monte Cavo. There are two small calderas which contain lakes, Lago Albano and Lake Nemi...
of Lazio, at the foot of Monte Cavo
Monte Cavo
Monte Cavo is the second highest mountain of the complex of the Alban Hills, near Rome, Italy. An old volcano extinguished around 10,000 years ago, it lies about from the sea, in the territory of the comuneof Rocca di Papa. It is the dominant peak of the Alban Hills...
, 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) southeast of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Overlooking it is Castel Gandolfo
Castel Gandolfo
Castel Gandolfo is a small Italian town or comune in Lazio that occupies a height overlooking Lake Albano about 15 miles south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills. It is best known as the summer residence of the Pope. It is an Italian town with the population of 8834...
, where the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
has a villa.
It was known to the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
as Albanus Lacus. In its vicinity stood Alba Longa
Alba Longa
Alba Longa – in Italian sources occasionally written Albalonga – was an ancient city of Latium in central Italy southeast of Rome in the Alban Hills. Founder and head of the Latin League, it was destroyed by Rome around the middle of the 7th century BC. In legend, Romulus and Remus, founders of...
.
The lake is the deepest, about 170 m (557.7 ft), in Lazio. It is about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) long by 2.3 km (1.4 mi) wide, formed by the overlapping union of two volcanic craters, an origin indicated by the ridge in its center, which rises to a depth of 70 m (229.7 ft). Plutarch reports that in 406 BC the lake surged over the surrounding hills, despite there being no rain nor tributaries into the lake to explain it (Life of Camillus). The ensuing flood destroyed fields and vineyards, eventually pouring into the sea.
It hosted the canoeing
Canoeing at the 1960 Summer Olympics
At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, seven events in sprint canoe racing were contested at Lake Albano. Four changes were done to the program. First, the 10000 metre events that were raced from 1936 to 1956 were permanently dropped from the Olympic program, leaving all races at the 500 metre and...
and rowing
Rowing at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Rowing at the 1960 Summer Olympics featured 7 events, for men only. The competitions were held from August 30, 1960 to September 3, 1960 on the Lago di Albano.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:*...
events of the 1960 Summer Olympic Games that were held at Rome. The lane marking system developed for these events is commonly referred to as the Albano buoy system
Albano buoy system
The Albano lane system is a method of marking kayak, canoe and rowing race courses using lines of buoys. It was first used internationally in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games held on Lake Albano, Italy. It has since become an international standard for most FISA events and is used in Olympic rowing...
.