On Saturday 5 September, Lake Nemi will once again be the protagonist of the Lucciolata, the evening walk promoted by the Committee for the Protection of the Woods of the Alban Hills to draw attention to the protection of the lakes, woods and territory of the Castelli Romani.
The appointment is set for 8pm near the Museum of Roman Ships. The departure of the procession is scheduled for 9pm. The route will follow the shores of the lake up to the former Fiocina area and then return to the starting point.
Participants are invited to bring an electric torch with them, a characteristic element of the initiative which will transform the route along the lake into a trail of light.
The situation of the lakes of Nemi and Albano
One of the main themes of the event concerns the situation of the Nemi and Albano lakes and the decrease in water levels recorded in recent years.
The Committee calls for greater institutional attention towards the water balance of the two basins and also places the management of aquifers and water withdrawals at the center of its mobilization. Among the demands made by environmentalists is the declaration of a state of environmental emergency for both lakes and a review of catchment policies.
The assessments of withdrawals and their environmental consequences belong to the platform supported by the Committee and remain a matter of discussion with the bodies and subjects competent in the management of water resources.
The protection of the woods of the Castelli Romani Park
The Lucciolata will also be a moment of mobilization on the management of the forest areas included in the Castelli Romani Regional Park. The Committee has been carrying out a campaign for some time to obtain a moratorium on forest cutting and requests new insights into the effects of forestry activities on habitats, soil, microclimate and hydrogeological structure.
The attention of environmentalists concerns in particular some areas of Artemisio, Rocca di Papa and other wooded areas affected by forestry construction sites.
During previous initiatives, the Committee has also reported critical issues along particularly popular paths, including the Via Sacra, the Via Francigena and various routes in the Artemisio area.
Tourism and pressure on the lake shores
Another theme that will accompany the event concerns the management of the tourist presence in lake areas. According to the Committee, it is necessary to find a more rigorous balance between use of the territory and protection of ecosystems, especially during periods of greater attendance.
Among the issues indicated are the increase in traffic, the presence of waste, disturbance to fauna and more generally the pressure exerted by human activities on the shores of Lake Nemi and Lake Albano. The aim of the organizers is to bring the naturalistic value of the two basins and the need to protect their environmental balance back to the center of the debate.
The issue of overbuilding and the Santa Palomba project
La Lucciolata will also collect other environmental battles that have affected the Castelli Romani and surrounding areas in recent months. The Committee expresses its opposition to territorial transformation interventions considered too invasive and maintains a critical position towards the waste-to-energy plant project planned in the Santa Palomba area.
The concerns expressed by environmentalists concern the possible consequences on the territory and the environment. However, the project continues to be the subject of a detailed discussion on a political, administrative and technical level.
The hypothesis of a Castelli Romani National Park
Among the proposals supported by the Committee is also the transformation of the current Castelli Romani Regional Park into a National Park. According to the promoters, this solution would make it possible to strengthen the tools intended for the protection of natural heritage and increase the level of protection of the most delicate areas.
This is a proposal that would require a specific institutional and regulatory path and which opens up a broader discussion on the future of land management in the Alban Hills.
The petrol station project along Via dei Laghi
In recent weeks the Committee has also focused its attention on the project for a fuel distribution plant planned along Via dei Laghi in the Nemi area, in an area previously used as a nursery.
Environmentalists have recalled the presence of a well in the vicinity intended for water supply and ask that this element be carefully evaluated as part of the administrative process.
The matter was the subject of requests for access to documents and initiatives by the Committee and Italia Nostra Castelli Romani. The technical and authorization aspects remain entrusted to the assessments of the competent bodies.
The interventions in the area of the Museum of Roman Ships
A further theme concerns the interventions carried out in the area between the Museum of Roman Ships and the lake beach as part of the project known as Linear Sport. The Committee asked for clarification on the authorization process and maintains that the documentation acquired would reveal elements requiring further investigation relating to the opinions requested during the procedure. Also in this case the complaints refer to the reconstruction of the environmentalists and may be the subject of any clarifications by the administrations and bodies involved.
Shuttle from Genzano to reach Lake Nemi
To limit the presence of cars in the lake area, the organizers invite participants to use shared vehicles. There is also a shuttle connection from Piazza Dante in Genzano di Roma to the Museum of Roman Ships, with a return service as well. The meeting point for the Lucciolata remains set at 8pm on Saturday 5 September. The procession will leave an hour later and will travel along the shores of Lake Nemi accompanied by torch lights.
A mobilization that also looks to autumn
Nemi’s initiative is part of a broader calendar of environmental mobilizations announced by the Committee. Among the issues destined to return to the center of attention in the coming weeks are the protection of forests, the management of water resources, the Santa Palomba project and the urban transformations affecting various territories of the Castelli Romani.
The Lucciolata of 5 September therefore wants to combine the symbolic dimension of the luminous procession with a more general request for greater protection of the natural heritage of the Alban Hills and for a public discussion on the choices that will determine its future.
