Îles flottantes et corps guéris : les eaux prodigieuses du lac de Bolsena
Lake Bolsena (Lazio, Italy), the largest volcanic lake in Europe with fluctuating levels, and its two islands (Bisentina and Martana) have been at the heart of intense demographic, socio-economic and cultural dynamics since prehistoric times. Known in classical literature for being the scene of mons...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Université Lumière Lyon 2
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontière·s |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/frontieres/1414 |
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| Summary: | Lake Bolsena (Lazio, Italy), the largest volcanic lake in Europe with fluctuating levels, and its two islands (Bisentina and Martana) have been at the heart of intense demographic, socio-economic and cultural dynamics since prehistoric times. Known in classical literature for being the scene of monstra–in particular the islands that are said to float in the winds (Pliny, Natural History, II, 209)–, its waters have also been exploited for their medicinal qualities since the Antiquity. This is evidenced by the deposit of anatomical ex‑votos characteristic of a cult of sanatio in the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary of Piana del Lago, today on the edge of the lake and close to the Marta river outlet, which links southern Etruria with the Tyrrhenian coast. This example is an opportunity to reflect on the role of water in the cult in the ancient world, on its liminality between profane and sacred, with all the historiographical construction that it has undergone over the long term. |
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| ISSN: | 2534-7535 |