Lago di Vico is 510 meters

 above sea level,

in the heart of the Monti Cimini.

Its perimeter is  18 km.

The average depth is 22 meters,

the maximum is 50 meters.

It is enclosed between

two mountains,

Monte Venere (altitude 838 mt)

and Monte Fogliano (altitude 965 mt)

Hercules, the semi-god known for his superhuman strength, arrived in this area before the lake existed.

He was looking for a Ninfa and he found her in a flock, transformed into a goat. But the pastor did  not recognized Hercules and did not want to give him the goat. To resolve this problem, Hercules proposed a challenge; he planted in the ground a big stick and whoever succeed in extracting it, would keep the goat.

Easy to imagine who won ...

Hercules pulled out the stick from the ground, with such force that he drew water, that flowed until the valley was submerged.

The lake was formed when the eruptions of the volcanic complex of Vico ended, about 100,000 years ago. The basin then filled with water and for many millennium the lake was much bigger than today

First the Etruscans and then the Farnese, drained the water through a channel to decrease the level of the lake and reclaim valuable agricultural land.

The Lake is divided between two towns,

Caprarola and Ronciglione.

On the side of Caprarola, the land is almost entirely occupied by hazelnut groves, the main economic resource of the town.

This area is inside the Nature Reserve, where the majority of wildlife is found.

The Ronciglione side was included in the  Nature Reserve in 2009.

Along this lakeside, there is a residential center - Punta del Lago - many villas and restaurants on the beach.