The territory of Lago Trasimeno is located between the lower slopes of the Apennines to the east and the Valdichianna to the west, an area almost entirely within the province of Umbria. Since antiquity, the cities of Perugia, Chiusi, and Cortona have extended their influence over the lake, and the the territory continues to be an important resource for fish, agriculture, recreation, and tourism.
The TRAP team’s research has focused on the western side of Trasimeno in the territory of Castiglione del Lago, which extends from the lake, across the Tresa plain to the low hills bordering the Valdichiana. The earliest human activity in the region dates to the Middle Palaeolithic period, ca. 120,000 B.P. From the Neolithic period, ca. 5900-3600 BC, there is archaeological evidence for a settlement at Panicarola-La Lucciola. That site was reoccupied in the Bronze Age based on the necropolis that has been excavated there.
The Villanovan period in the Early Iron Age, ca. 1000-725 BC, marks the beginning of Etruscan activity in the region. To date, the primary evidence for the Etruscans in Trasimeno comes from necropoleis and chamber tombs, mostly located along the ridge between the Tresa plain and the Valdichiana. The TRAP team is particularly interested in investigating Etruscan settlement in the region and the possible presence of Etruscan sanctuaries. In the early 2nd century BC, the Roman conquest of Umbria brought the Etruscan period to an end. In subsequent centuries we see a reconfiguration of the landscape with Roman agricultural villas controlling large areas, especially in the Tresa plain. However, there is now evidence of at least one Imperial period luxury villa at Gioiella and a Roman water sanctuary on the slope of Castiglione del Lago.
Follow the links below to learn more about the history of the territory.
Trasimeno Archaeology Digital Museum 