The Book's Setting in Italy
View of Lake Nemi from the town of Nemi Lake Nemi, called "Diana's Mirror" in ancient times, lies cupped in a volcanic crater 20 miles south of Rome. It is surrounded by woods of oak and chestnut. The lake has provided inspiration to painters such as Turner, to writers such as Byron, and to composers such as Gounod, who composed his famous Ave Maria on its shores.
The town of Nemi, one of the "Castelli Romani" hill towns in the Alban Hills, sits on the rim of the crater about 700 feet above the lake. It is anchored by a convent at one end and the Palazzo Ruspoli, a Renaissance palace with a medieval tower, at the other. Although close to Rome, it is somewhat hidden away and so far has remained unspoiled by the encroaching outer suburbs of the city. Nemi is noted for its strawberries.
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