Reflections from a Roman Lake: Trevignano Romano, a Biography of an Adoptive Home

Reflections is an intimate and joyful portrait of life in Trevignano Romano, a village on the shores of the glimmering Italian lake whose waters spurt from Rome’s fountains. Along this Roman Riviera, only an hour from the Colosseum, are the remains of the largest Stone Age village ever found in Europe, plus ruins of summer palaces built by ancient Roman Emperors and one of Italy’s most splendid castles.

Judith Harris, journalist and former diplomat, introduces you to many of the remarkable citizens who have left their imprint upon the town: the medieval saint whose miracle fish haul fed a starving town, the Orsini prince accused of murdering his wife, the blind postman who delivered the mail on foot, the pioneer teacher of the hearing impaired, the retired international bureaucrat who is 108 years of age.

What is now modern Italy’s prizewinning, cosmopolitan resort town has also seen barbarian invaders, Renaissance warfare, German military occupation, and an amazing cast of past and contemporary residents. She explores local dialects and shares gastronomical secrets and the finer points of the coffee shop culture.