An illustrated talk by Dr Bill Maitland
2nd April 2026 at 19:15 at Fountainhall Church Centre, 1 Beaconsfield Place, Aberdeen AB15 4AB.
An introduction to the landscape, places and history of the Tuscia region around Lake Bolsena.
In just a week I travelled around the Tuscia region in northern Lazio/Umbria with my fellow students on an Italian study course. Every afternoon we saw new spectacles and we heard rich history and stories from our guides. Previously I knew nothing of this location, so I decided to present a summary of this week with the aim to encourage others to go and see this region for themselves.
The landscape of northern Lazio was formed by the action of volcanos. The Etruscans revered the volcanoes where dwelt their fire god Suri. They settled in the naturally defensive locations where the rock could be easily carved. When the Romans conquered the Etruscans, they absorbed some of the architecture and culture of the Etruscans, as well as reusing some building materials.
Passing through the region is the Via Francigena, the pilgrim route to Rome. In medieval and renaissance times stories of the local saints were promoted in the churches as well as a warning to sinners in the form of Last Judgement frescos. Even the occasional churchman were not immune to the sin of gluttony and brought about their own demise through their habits. Dante placed one of these men, Pope Martin IV, in his Purgatorio.
The Farnese family rose to prominence in the region by fighting battles for the winning side. At the peak of their power they built a magnificent villa where they exhibited their influence through the work of renaissance architects, painters and scholars.
Dr Bill Maitland studied particle physics at the University of Glasgow and CERN, Geneva. Afterwards he joined the oil industry in Aberdeen, supporting software and data for geoscientists. He has been studying italian language for several years and recently joined an Italian study course at Bolsena. This trip inspired him to give this introduction to the landscape, places and history of the Tuscia region around Lake Bolsena.
Aberdeen Italian Circle 