Undiscovered Umbria: Narni
The city of Narni, known in ancient times as Narnia, is located in the province of Terni in southern Umbria.
Narni sits perched high on a cliff overlooking expansive green valleys below. People have been living in the area since Paleolithic and Neolithic times, and over the centuries the Narni’s many rulers have left their mark on its character and architecture. Narni and Ancient Rome
Since the days of the ancient Roman empire, the Via Flaminia has passed through Narni. The road connected Rome to the Adriatic sea, therefore carrying out an important and strategic role in ancient Rome’s development.
The Nera river flows through the valley below, and according to the ancient scholars Tacitus and Strabone it was this river that helped the ancients navigate to Rome. In 23 BC the Bridge of Augustus was built by Emperor Augustus where the Via Flaminia crossed over the Nera river. An imposing masterpiece of Roman architecture about 30 meters high, it is the longest Roman bridge ever constructed and about half is still standing. French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot chose it as the subject of his 1826 painting. Corsa all’Anello (Race of the Ring)
In a spring tradition dating all the way back to the 1300s, every year Narni honors its Patron Saint, San Giovenale (the first bishop of Narni). The festival lasts from the last week of April to the second Sunday in May. The city is alive with celebrations, which culminate in the famous Race of the Ring.
During the Race of the Ring, knights on horseback must succeed in spearing a ring with their long spears. There is also a parade by night, and parade in period costumes, making the festival an experience not to be missed. Narni and C.S. Lewis’s Narnia
Lovers of C.S. Lewis’s classic series The Chronicles of Narnia will surely wonder at the connection between Narni and Narnia. It is said that Lewis chose the name for the world in his mind’s eye because he had come across Narni’s Roman name Narnia in a classical atlas.
Though Lewis never visited the city himself, there is another interesting tie between Narni and his books which Lewis may not even have ever known about: the local saint Blessed Lucy of Narnia is buried in a chapel of the city’s main cathedral. Narni…Underground
There is a whole world hidden below Narni, with layer upon layer of secrets to discover. First the Romans, then the Longobards, Benedictines and the Dominicans each left their own mark. There are ancient acqueducts, crypts, frescoed chapels, and even prisons from the Inquisition to explore.
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Campo delle Margherite
Loc. Case Alte 12 - Frazione Schifanoia - 05035 Narni, Tr, Italy
+39/ 328 5905 913 umbriafarmhouse@gmail.com
Loc. Case Alte 12 - Frazione Schifanoia - 05035 Narni, Tr, Italy
+39/ 328 5905 913 umbriafarmhouse@gmail.com