Lake Trasimene Attractions

To the west of Perugia is Lake Trasimene (Lago Trasimeno; Latin Lacus Trasimenus). The lake, lying at an altitude of 259m/855ft, is the largest in the Italian peninsula (area 128 sq.km/49 sq.mi, circumference about 50km/31mi; greatest depth 7m/23ft) and is well-stocked with fish. Fed almost solely by rain-water, it is subject to considerable variation of level. Lake Trasimene is famous as the scene of the second Punic War, a battle between Carthaginians and Romans, in which Hannibal defeated the Roman consul Gaius Flaminius in 217 B.C.