THE SHRINE OF DIANA NEMORENSIS BY THE LAKE NEMI
Not far away from Rome, on the shores of the Nemi Lake, in an enchanting
timeless grove, there are the ruins of one of the most fascinating place of
ancient Italy.
The shrine of Diana Nemorenis (Diana of the wood).
This was the shrine common to the cities of the Latin League. The origin of
this ancient cult is lost in the mists of time.
According to the myth Orestes would have brought to Nemi from Tauris, the
bloody cult of Artemis together with the statue of the goddess.
The cult of Artemis Taurica requierd human
sacrifices and something of the ancient ritual remained in that of Nemi: the
bloody and magic ritual which entrusted to a mortal duel the investiture of the
rex Nemorensis (king of the grove) as is well described by the ancient authors
and in the famed book of Sir James Frazer "The Golden Bough". A tree
was located in the center of the grove which was guarded heavily. No one was to
break off its limbs, with the exception of a runaway slave.
Upon breaking off a limb, the slave was then in turn granted the privilege to
engage the Rex Nemorensis in a mortal combat.
If the slave prevailed, he became the next king for as long as he could defeat
challengers.
This was evidently a fertility ritual of the kingship which had the role of
confirming the exceptional physical strength of the king who never should have
perished.
During the Roman empire the cult of Diana became associated with that of Isis
so that the emperor Caligula who was a fervent devotee of the Egyptian goddess,
rebuilt the sanctuary for the last time. He even wanted to build his luxurious
villa on the shore of the Lake of Nemi and the two celebrated ships destined to
a representative function and cult ceremonies.
Through a walking tour in the evocative sacred grove of Diana we will retrace
the complex and misterious cult and identity of the ancient tutelary mother
goddess of the Latins.
In the evening we will visit the near by Museum of the Ships of Nemi
housing the archaeological finds from the shrine of Diana and the remains of
the ships of Caligula.
Price includes the
transportation to and from the site of the ancient Nemi, the guide service in
English language with an expert archaeologist. Lunch: based on the
typical products of the place at the local farm house "Il Giardino di
Diana". Lunch is not included in the tour price.