municipality

Terni

In South Umbria, the city of Terni stretches along a flat basin guarded by green hills, high cliffs and valleys that characterize its entire territory dotted with splendid medieval villages and natural wonders among them: the Marmore Falls and Lake Piediluco.

The city of Valentine’s Day has undergone a profound process of transfiguration over the years, mainly due to the bombing since World War II, which hides its identity and history as a city of Roman and medieval imprint, but its historic center is rich in interesting archaeological finds, historic buildings, and churches all to be discovered, as to be discovered is its green and unexpected territory.

between the Nera River and the Serra stream
Terni, the city of Valentine’s Day and Marmore Falls

Situated between the Nera River and the Serra stream and crossed by the Via Flaminia, Terni is a city with an industrial vocation with a beautiful historic center that preserves both its medieval and modern souls and an area around it dotted with a myriad of villages, once castles, scattered throughout the territory made up of green valleys, hills and superb heights.

The history of the city between the two rivers

It was first a land of the Naharti and then of the Romans, it was a place of passage of armies and conquerors, it suffered the horror of bombs but was able to rise again thanks to the strong legs of its past and its eyes always turned to the future!

To the Origins of the Culture of Terni

In the marshy basin of the Nahar (=Nera) the proto-urban center of Terni developed between the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age (between the 10th and 7th centuries B.C.), as evidenced by the necropolis found in the late 19th century and immediately appeared to be fundamental in delineating the history of the culture of lower Umbria.

An epigraph from the age of Tiberius preserved in the Archaeological Museum sets the mythical date of the founding of the city of Interamna (=between the two rivers) at 672 BC. 

It is the Eugubine Tables made in the Umbrian language between the 3rd and 1st centuries B.C., but referring to earlier times, that report the presence in the Nera area of the Naharti people: an Umbrian population at the time hostile to the Ikuvini of Gubbio, on a par with the Etruscans.

The heights surrounding the Terni basin with their castellieri located between 700 and 1,000 meters, including the area of Sant’Erasmo above Cesi and below the Sanctuary of Torre Maggiore.

It was in this area that a tradition has it that there was the last resistance of the Umbrian people, by then subjugated by the Roman in the 3rd century BC.

Interamna Nahar and the Roman period

Interamna Nahars fell under Roman rule through the work of Consul Curio Dentato, who immediately, in 270 B.C. with an extraordinary reclamation work reorganized the river system between Umbria and Sabina by dropping the Velino River into the Nera creating the absolute spectacle we now call Marmore Falls.

It was the consul Gaius Flaminius who in 220 B.C. traced on older routes the ante-litteram highway of the Via Flaminia from Rome to Rimini, which entered Umbria from Ocriculum and reached, by way of Narni, on the older side to Carsulae and, on the other, at the 63rd mile to Terni. In 90 BC. Interamna became municipium and began a long period of development that continued into the imperial period with the construction of the Faustian Amphitheater.

According to the Passio St. Valentine, the Saint of lovers and Patron Saint of the city, was martyred in the fourth century and buried first at the LXIII mile of the Via Flaminia, then in Terni in the area that was Perticara just outside the walls, where today stands the Basilica erected in his name.

between the Nera River and the Serra stream
Terni, the city of Valentine’s Day and Marmore Falls

Situated between the Nera River and the Serra stream and crossed by the Via Flaminia, Terni is a city with an industrial vocation with a beautiful historic center that preserves both its medieval and modern souls and an area around it dotted with a myriad of villages, once castles, scattered throughout the territory made up of green valleys, hills and superb heights.

The history of the city between the two rivers

It was first a land of the Naharti and then of the Romans, it was a place of passage of armies and conquerors, it suffered the horror of bombs but was able to rise again thanks to the strong legs of its past and its eyes always turned to the future!

To the Origins of the Culture of Terni

In the marshy basin of the Nahar (=Nera) the proto-urban center of Terni developed between the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age (between the 10th and 7th centuries B.C.), as evidenced by the necropolis found in the late 19th century and immediately appeared to be fundamental in delineating the history of the culture of lower Umbria.

An epigraph from the age of Tiberius preserved in the Archaeological Museum sets the mythical date of the founding of the city of Interamna (=between the two rivers) at 672 BC. 

It is the Eugubine Tables made in the Umbrian language between the 3rd and 1st centuries B.C., but referring to earlier times, that report the presence in the Nera area of the Naharti people: an Umbrian population at the time hostile to the Ikuvini of Gubbio, on a par with the Etruscans.

The heights surrounding the Terni basin with their castellieri located between 700 and 1,000 meters, including the area of Sant’Erasmo above Cesi and below the Sanctuary of Torre Maggiore.

It was in this area that a tradition has it that there was the last resistance of the Umbrian people, by then subjugated by the Roman in the 3rd century BC.

Interamna Nahar and the Roman period

Interamna Nahars fell under Roman rule through the work of Consul Curio Dentato, who immediately, in 270 B.C. with an extraordinary reclamation work reorganized the river system between Umbria and Sabina by dropping the Velino River into the Nera creating the absolute spectacle we now call Marmore Falls.

It was the consul Gaius Flaminius who in 220 B.C. traced on older routes the ante-litteram highway of the Via Flaminia from Rome to Rimini, which entered Umbria from Ocriculum and reached, by way of Narni, on the older side to Carsulae and, on the other, at the 63rd mile to Terni. In 90 BC. Interamna became municipium and began a long period of development that continued into the imperial period with the construction of the Faustian Amphitheater.

According to the Passio St. Valentine, the Saint of lovers and Patron Saint of the city, was martyred in the fourth century and buried first at the LXIII mile of the Via Flaminia, then in Terni in the area that was Perticara just outside the walls, where today stands the Basilica erected in his name.

terni
The city in the Middle Ages

The diocese of Terni disappeared in the 4th century and a gradual decline of the city began with the invasions first of Alaric’s Goths, then Attila’s Huns and Odoacer’s Heruli. After Vitiges came the armies of Totila in 540 then it was the turn of those of Narsete in 554 in a now devastated urban settlement.

A consequence of the barbarian invasions was also that water resumed its former territory, and until the arrival of the Benedictines in the second decade of the 8th century–who in the Perticare area are supposed to have had a monastery to guard the holy relics of Valentinus–Terni at the time must have seemed again a semi-swampy place.

It slowly recovered, and the first municipality had a community made up of the small local nobility to administer it.

After Longobard rule, which occurred at the hands of the Dukes of Spoleto, it became a frontier town controlling the valley that distanced it from Byzantine Narni via the Via Flaminia. Of considerable historical interest was the meeting between Liutprand and Pope Zacharias that took place in Terni in 742, when the king of the Lombards made an act of renunciation of possession of some castles occupied in the same year.

On the fringes of the year 1000, with the coming of Otto I the possession of then Teramne was granted to Pope John XIII. The commune overcame the diatribes that arose from the dispute between the emperor and the pope, which peaked with the war with Frederick Barbarossa, and at the time that the communes were torn apart by the war between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Terni was still subservient to Spoleto to which it had to pay imperial tributes.

This was the time when Francis was preaching in our territory, and it was in the year 1213 that he visited Terni, and it seems that it was his mediation with Pope Honorius III that made possible, in 1218, the return of the episcopal see with Franciscan Bishop Rainaldo at the top.

It was in the following years that Terni was able to build the new walls and once again become a city in whose center, in the Amingoni district, the Franciscans were able to erect their own convent.

In the passage of 1244 Frederick II identified Terni as a base in central Italy during the conflict against Pope Innocent IV.

During the Avignonese Captivity Terni, on the side of the emperor, allied with Todi to face the historic common enemies of Narni and Spoleto. In 1340 the historic battle was fought near Collelunawith Terni alongside Amelia against the papal army. It was with the advent of Albornoz that in 1354, however, the city had to submit to the Church State.

The 1400s was the century of the coming of the armies of captains of fortune and the constant clashes between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. With the Sack of Rome and the rise of the Lansquenets Terni, sided with the imperial forces, apparently gave strong support to the taking of Narni.

Terni in the Modern Age

The Banderari Revolt, which broke out on August 25, 1564, led Pope Pius IV to a harsh repression with the intervention of a governor who brought Terni permanently under the influence of the Papal States.

Between the 16th and 17th centuries, in a city that had found in Rome a safe point of reference, saw the arrival of important personalities from Urbe: this is the case of Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, who precisely in Terni found his death, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, Carlo Fontana, Carlo Maderno and Girolamo Troppa.

The French Army of the Revolution arrived in the Papal States in 1796 led by General Louis Berthier, who succeeded in occupying Rome and imprisoning the pope. The ensuing war saw Terni crossed by Ferdinand VI’s Neapolitan troops who came to the pope’s rescue.

The idea of a unified Italy was then being born, and it was from Terni that Massimo D’Azeglio began to make contact with the so-called “Trafila” who held relations with the king of Piedmont.

Terni the contemporary age and the bombs

Terni joined Mazzini’s Republic in 1849 with as many as two deputies elected to the People’s Assembly of the Roman States. With the fall of the Republic it was the city that hosted Garibaldi’s volunteers, and it was from Terni that the “O Roma o morte” expedition departed.

With the unification of Italy and after Rome became its capital in 1870, the city was identified as the base for the Fabbrica d’Armi which was built between 1875 and 1880 to which the Acciaierie were added in 1884: this was the period of industrialization and exponential growth of the city.

It was in World War II that, because of its very factories, it was bombed by U.S. planes fifty-seven times.

The steel city today is known for its industries, but it reserves unexpected relics from every era and excellent examples of reuse of decommissioned industrial facilities. 

The area of the former 1925 SIRI factory is home to CAOS – Centro per le Arti Opificio Siri – a large space for culture that also includes the Archaeological Museum and the “Aurelio De Felice” Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Representative of the major urban transformations initiated after World War II is Corso del Popolo, designed by architects Mario Ridolfi and Wolfgang Frankl, with the Lance of Light, a 30-meter-high steel work by Arnaldo Pomodoro (1993).

the territory of terni

What to see in Terni and its territory

Terni is an art history book to browse through to discover the nooks and crannies of the city and its priceless territory characteristic of the Umbria-Marches Apennines.

A tour of Terni’s historic center

The historic center and its historical and architectural stratifications can be discovered through thematic itineraries rediscovering Roman Terni, medieval Terni, Renaissance Terni, early 20th century architecture and more properly industrial Terni.

Roman Terni itinerary

There are few traces from the time of the Umbrians-the steel mills insist over the large area where necropolis of these peoples were found-some works and monuments from the Roman period when the city was called Interamna Nahars remain instead.

The itinerary ‘urban area of the town hall, monumentalized in the 1st century, are visible: the large opus quadratum walls on Giannelli Street that support the embankment on which the Public Gardens and the Faustus Amphitheater stand on Bishop’s Street; there are no major traces of the theater was in today’s Aminale Street nor of the Forum that insisted on today’s Republic Square.

Both artifacts from the Umbrian and Roman periods are preserved in the Archaeological Museum exceptional place to admire works from the city’s earliest history.

 

Medieval Terni itinerary

In the urban fabric of the city several medieval monuments are worth visiting through an itinerary around what were the six districts in the Middle Ages: Fabri, Castello, Rigonfi, Adultrini, Di Sotto, Amingoni.

From the city was accessed through six gates, among the two still visible we will start from Porta Sant’Angelo from which one can reach the ancient Church of Sant’Alò. The crypt of the Cathedral of Terni (link to POI) has medieval origins, and from Piazza Duomo one can easily reach Via Roma on which stands the Barbarasa Tower. A short distance from Palazzo Spada (link) is the Church of San Salvatore one of the oldest and most evocative religious buildings in Terni from which one can reach Piazza della Repubblica and the Former Town Hall. In the nearby square of the same name rises the Church of San Pietro, then along Corso Vecchio the Church of San Lorenzo and the Castelli Tower. Nearby on Angeloni Street is the Church of San Cristoforo a little further away the Porta Spoletina structure. Before returning, a visit to one of the best-preserved medieval buildings, Palazzo Mazzancolli, is worthwhile.

 

Terni Renaissance Itinerary

The Renaissance asserted itself in Terni through numerous monuments that, to this day for the most part, still enrich the city’s urban layout and are to be enjoyed on a splendid walk with your nose to the sky.

A tour of Renaissance Terni can only start, in Piazza Ridolfi, from Palazzo Spada designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and now the seat of the Municipality and the nearby Palazzo Pierfelici with its early 16th-century portal. Two of the city’s most important buildings are, in Piazza Duomo, the Palazzo Bianchini-Riccardi and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta the mother-church of the Diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia. In Via del Teatro Romano rises the beauty of Palazzo Gazzoli and in nearby Via delle Tre Colonne Palazzo Sciamanna. Around Via Cavour one can admire: Palazzo Alberici with its splendid 15th-century courtyard, Palazzo Possenti, Palazzo Fabrizi and Palazzo Mastrozzi-Magroni. In Via del Tribunale Palazzo Pressio-Colonnese, then in the street of the same name the beautiful Palazzo Carrara and finally, returning to Piazza Ridolfi: in the street of the same name Palazzo Manassei and in Via Garibaldi Palazzo Montani.

Renaissance painting production is also notable, starting with Bartolomeo di Tommaso da Foligno’s frescoes depicting the Last Judgment in the Paradisi Chapel in the Church of San Francesco. 

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art also preserves a panel with the Marriage of St. Catherine by Benozzo Gozzoli from 1466; a banner with the Crucifixion by Niccolò Alunno from 1496; and works by Spagna, Piermatteo d’Amelia and Domenico Alfani. Between the 16th and 17th centuries impressive work is done in the Basilica of St. Valentine, which is being rebuilt.

 

Terni itinerary of the early twentieth century

Fundamental to the city was the work of some of the architects of the early twentieth century: the works of Cesare Bazzani and Mario Ridolfi embellish and make precious some of the city’s iconic places, starting with the central square where Ridolfi’s Piazza Tacito Fountain towers and, to the side, Bazzani’s Palazzo del Governo. On Corso Tacito is Bazzani’s Palazzina Alterrocca and Ridolfi’s Casa Chitarrini, in Largo Villa Glori. Palazzo Briganti in St. Peter’s Square and the former Post Office Building in St. John Decollate Square are also the work of one by Ridolfi, the other by Bazzani.

 

Terni industrial route

The City of Steel could not but also have a route dedicated to that industry that has characterized Terni since the 19th century.

Highlighting this industrial vocation are many works around the city: from Arnaldo Pomodoro’s Lance of Light obelisk at the end of Corso del Popolo, to Agapito Miniucchi’s Hyperion in the Steel Square and the Great Press, a 12,000-ton monument placed in the square in front of the train station. 

Important sites of industrial archaeology today transformed into museums or film and multimedia hubs, such as the Museum of Weapons located right in the former Factory Valleys, heights, lakes and rivers dotted with castles, villages, abbeys, places of historical interest, d’Armi, or the “CAOS – Centro Arti Opificio Siri” (link to POI), a cultural center dedicated to the enjoyment of the arts, as well as home to the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, created from the conversion of the former SIRI chemical factory.

 

The territory and the many beautiful hamlets

From the Valnerina to the Val Serra, from the rushing flow of the Nera River to the slow flow along the Via Flaminia, from settlements located on the plains to times that rise to the highest points of the mountains: the territory of the city is made up of many places of interest, each with its own peculiarities, each with its own traditions, but also each united in a single proud land, that of the territory of the Municipality of Terni.

The Valnerina ternana and the Marmore Falls

Along the beautiful stretch of the lower-middle reaches of the Nera River, the Valnerina Ternana – which includes, in addition to Terni, the municipalities of Arrone, Montefranco, Polino and Ferentillo and which together form the Nera River Park – mountains, rivers and forests embellished by a myriad of small villages, medieval castles, watchtowers, abbeys, hermitages and beautiful towns, such as Papigno and San Liberatore, Collestatte and Torre Orsina that guard the prince attractor of our lands: the Marmore Falls.

The possibility of practicing all kinds of outdoor sports, that of discovering areas of historical and cultural interest, make this area one of the most interesting in Terni and our district.

 

Miranda castle on the border of the Rieti region and Piediluco Lake

A little further south of the Valnerina, bordering the territory of Rieti, Larviano first and Miranda -famous for its splendid Christmas star-is one of the most evocative castles in the area with its views that span the entire basin and the presence of routes and itineraries among the greenery that reach as far as Lake Piediluco pearl of the Terni area with its splendid village and the sports activities that have made it internationally famous for rowing.

The Valserra

Another extremely suggestive valley is the one that opens up around the Serra stream: with the territory that starts to the northeast of the Terni basin and that, alternating with the valley of the Tessino traversed by the Via Flaminia, forms a natural link between Terni and Spoleto.

Here, too, castles and watchtowers, dot the slopes of the reliefs rising in relation to mid-coast road routes: from the basin: Rocca San Zenone, Acquapalombo, Battiferro, Cecalocco, Appecano, Poggio Lavarino, Giuncano, Polenaco, Pracchia and Porzano, are the names of the settlements that go to make up this splendid district once subject to the Terre Arnolfe.

 

Cesi, the Terre Arnolfe and Torre Maggiore

On the slopes of the mountain of Torre Maggiore, which at the top of 1121 meters guards an evocative pre-Roman Sanctuary, the beautiful and scenic village of Cesi is what remains of the city that was the capital of the Terre Arnolfe whose domains spanned a vast territory. Below Cesi the ancient Roman municipality of Carsulae, bordering the territory of the municipality of San Gemini today is an archaeological area of extreme charm.

Along the southern side of the Via Flaminia

Along the Via Flaminia, south of Terni stands the proud and beautiful castle of Collescipoli, an ancient municipality and the first stronghold defending the border with Narni in the Middle Ages.

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carsulae-dettaglio
the territory of terni

What to see in Terni and its territory

Terni is an art history book to browse through to discover the nooks and crannies of the city and its priceless territory characteristic of the Umbria-Marches Apennines.

A tour of Terni’s historic center

The historic center and its historical and architectural stratifications can be discovered through thematic itineraries rediscovering Roman Terni, medieval Terni, Renaissance Terni, early 20th century architecture and more properly industrial Terni.

Roman Terni itinerary

There are few traces from the time of the Umbrians-the steel mills insist over the large area where necropolis of these peoples were found-some works and monuments from the Roman period when the city was called Interamna Nahars remain instead.

The itinerary ‘urban area of the town hall, monumentalized in the 1st century, are visible: the large opus quadratum walls on Giannelli Street that support the embankment on which the Public Gardens and the Faustus Amphitheater stand on Bishop’s Street; there are no major traces of the theater was in today’s Aminale Street nor of the Forum that insisted on today’s Republic Square.

Both artifacts from the Umbrian and Roman periods are preserved in the Archaeological Museum exceptional place to admire works from the city’s earliest history.

 

Medieval Terni itinerary

In the urban fabric of the city several medieval monuments are worth visiting through an itinerary around what were the six districts in the Middle Ages: Fabri, Castello, Rigonfi, Adultrini, Di Sotto, Amingoni.

From the city was accessed through six gates, among the two still visible we will start from Porta Sant’Angelo from which one can reach the ancient Church of Sant’Alò. The crypt of the Cathedral of Terni (link to POI) has medieval origins, and from Piazza Duomo one can easily reach Via Roma on which stands the Barbarasa Tower. A short distance from Palazzo Spada (link) is the Church of San Salvatore one of the oldest and most evocative religious buildings in Terni from which one can reach Piazza della Repubblica and the Former Town Hall. In the nearby square of the same name rises the Church of San Pietro, then along Corso Vecchio the Church of San Lorenzo and the Castelli Tower. Nearby on Angeloni Street is the Church of San Cristoforo a little further away the Porta Spoletina structure. Before returning, a visit to one of the best-preserved medieval buildings, Palazzo Mazzancolli, is worthwhile.

 

Terni Renaissance Itinerary

The Renaissance asserted itself in Terni through numerous monuments that, to this day for the most part, still enrich the city’s urban layout and are to be enjoyed on a splendid walk with your nose to the sky.

A tour of Renaissance Terni can only start, in Piazza Ridolfi, from Palazzo Spada designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and now the seat of the Municipality and the nearby Palazzo Pierfelici with its early 16th-century portal. Two of the city’s most important buildings are, in Piazza Duomo, the Palazzo Bianchini-Riccardi and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta the mother-church of the Diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia. In Via del Teatro Romano rises the beauty of Palazzo Gazzoli and in nearby Via delle Tre Colonne Palazzo Sciamanna. Around Via Cavour one can admire: Palazzo Alberici with its splendid 15th-century courtyard, Palazzo Possenti, Palazzo Fabrizi and Palazzo Mastrozzi-Magroni. In Via del Tribunale Palazzo Pressio-Colonnese, then in the street of the same name the beautiful Palazzo Carrara and finally, returning to Piazza Ridolfi: in the street of the same name Palazzo Manassei and in Via Garibaldi Palazzo Montani.

Renaissance painting production is also notable, starting with Bartolomeo di Tommaso da Foligno’s frescoes depicting the Last Judgment in the Paradisi Chapel in the Church of San Francesco. 

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art also preserves a panel with the Marriage of St. Catherine by Benozzo Gozzoli from 1466; a banner with the Crucifixion by Niccolò Alunno from 1496; and works by Spagna, Piermatteo d’Amelia and Domenico Alfani. Between the 16th and 17th centuries impressive work is done in the Basilica of St. Valentine, which is being rebuilt.

 

Terni itinerary of the early twentieth century

Fundamental to the city was the work of some of the architects of the early twentieth century: the works of Cesare Bazzani and Mario Ridolfi embellish and make precious some of the city’s iconic places, starting with the central square where Ridolfi’s Piazza Tacito Fountain towers and, to the side, Bazzani’s Palazzo del Governo. On Corso Tacito is Bazzani’s Palazzina Alterrocca and Ridolfi’s Casa Chitarrini, in Largo Villa Glori. Palazzo Briganti in St. Peter’s Square and the former Post Office Building in St. John Decollate Square are also the work of one by Ridolfi, the other by Bazzani.

 

Terni industrial route

The City of Steel could not but also have a route dedicated to that industry that has characterized Terni since the 19th century.

Highlighting this industrial vocation are many works around the city: from Arnaldo Pomodoro’s Lance of Light obelisk at the end of Corso del Popolo, to Agapito Miniucchi’s Hyperion in the Steel Square and the Great Press, a 12,000-ton monument placed in the square in front of the train station. 

Important sites of industrial archaeology today transformed into museums or film and multimedia hubs, such as the Museum of Weapons located right in the former Factory Valleys, heights, lakes and rivers dotted with castles, villages, abbeys, places of historical interest, d’Armi, or the “CAOS – Centro Arti Opificio Siri” (link to POI), a cultural center dedicated to the enjoyment of the arts, as well as home to the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, created from the conversion of the former SIRI chemical factory.

 

The territory and the many beautiful hamlets

From the Valnerina to the Val Serra, from the rushing flow of the Nera River to the slow flow along the Via Flaminia, from settlements located on the plains to times that rise to the highest points of the mountains: the territory of the city is made up of many places of interest, each with its own peculiarities, each with its own traditions, but also each united in a single proud land, that of the territory of the Municipality of Terni.

The Valnerina ternana and the Marmore Falls

Along the beautiful stretch of the lower-middle reaches of the Nera River, the Valnerina Ternana – which includes, in addition to Terni, the municipalities of Arrone, Montefranco, Polino and Ferentillo and which together form the Nera River Park – mountains, rivers and forests embellished by a myriad of small villages, medieval castles, watchtowers, abbeys, hermitages and beautiful towns, such as Papigno and San Liberatore, Collestatte and Torre Orsina that guard the prince attractor of our lands: the Marmore Falls.

The possibility of practicing all kinds of outdoor sports, that of discovering areas of historical and cultural interest, make this area one of the most interesting in Terni and our district.

 

Miranda castle on the border of the Rieti region and Piediluco Lake

A little further south of the Valnerina, bordering the territory of Rieti, Larviano first and Miranda -famous for its splendid Christmas star-is one of the most evocative castles in the area with its views that span the entire basin and the presence of routes and itineraries among the greenery that reach as far as Lake Piediluco pearl of the Terni area with its splendid village and the sports activities that have made it internationally famous for rowing.

The Valserra

Another extremely suggestive valley is the one that opens up around the Serra stream: with the territory that starts to the northeast of the Terni basin and that, alternating with the valley of the Tessino traversed by the Via Flaminia, forms a natural link between Terni and Spoleto.

Here, too, castles and watchtowers, dot the slopes of the reliefs rising in relation to mid-coast road routes: from the basin: Rocca San Zenone, Acquapalombo, Battiferro, Cecalocco, Appecano, Poggio Lavarino, Giuncano, Polenaco, Pracchia and Porzano, are the names of the settlements that go to make up this splendid district once subject to the Terre Arnolfe.

 

Cesi, the Terre Arnolfe and Torre Maggiore

On the slopes of the mountain of Torre Maggiore, which at the top of 1121 meters guards an evocative pre-Roman Sanctuary, the beautiful and scenic village of Cesi is what remains of the city that was the capital of the Terre Arnolfe whose domains spanned a vast territory. Below Cesi the ancient Roman municipality of Carsulae, bordering the territory of the municipality of San Gemini today is an archaeological area of extreme charm.

Along the southern side of the Via Flaminia

Along the Via Flaminia, south of Terni stands the proud and beautiful castle of Collescipoli, an ancient municipality and the first stronghold defending the border with Narni in the Middle Ages.

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the territory of terni
Routes, walks and outdoor experiences

The territory of Terni contemplates different places and itineraries for outdoor experiences of all kinds: from aquatic ones along the course of the Nera River, to all the others such as hiking, biking and everything that can be done within places that are devoted to green and slow tourism.

The most picturesque trails of the CAI

There are many CAI trails marked within the area, among the most interesting we suggest the following by area.

Departing from the center of Terni:

  • Trail 622 Terni – Miranda is a hiking difficulty trail of 5.7 km, with an ascent of 400 meters, which starts from Turati Avenue at the height of the Basilica of St. Valentine that from Hippocrates Avenue passes in Colli di Valenza road to climb the hill, with passage in the locality Piefossato, until reaching Miranda.

 

Terre Arnolfe and Carsulae area:

  • Trail 670 Archaeological Area-of-Carsulae-Fountain-of-the-Almond is a challenging 18 km, of hiking difficulty (+685/-840), which starts from the Archaeological Area of Carsulae and climbs to the mount of Torre Maggiore then to the slopes of Mt. Cerignolo and Pizzo d’Aiano reaching Sella di Appecano (899 mt.) and Mount La Croce until descending by the road of the same name to the Madola Fountain.
  • Trail 671 Archaeological Area of Carsulae – Portaria is a short trail of just over 3 km, of tourist difficulty (+150/-140), that starts from the Archaeological Area of Carsulae and climbs toward the village of Portaria in the Municipality of Acquasparta.
  • Trail 672 Archaeological Area of Carsulae – Cesi is a 5.4 km (+/-300 m) hiking difficulty trail, which starts from the Archaeological Area of Carsulae, passes by the ancient castle of Poggio Azzuano and descends to Cesi through a path full of woods and incredible views.
  • Trail 673 Cesi – Colle Zanutto – Le Prata Locality is a 5.6 km hiking difficulty (+500/-100) trail that starts Cesi and climbs first on Colle Zanutto and then joins the upstream slopes of Torre Maggiore with Trail 670.
  • Trail 674 Cesi – Sant’Erasmo – Torre Maggioe is one of the most evocative trails in this area, a 4.2 km climb up that starts in Cesi and with 530 mt. of ascent climbs first in the very ancient plateau of the Sant’Erasmo area  and then reaches the 1121 mt. of the mountain peak of Torre Maggiore and the complex of the Preroman Sanctuary where, in addition to the monumental remains of the two temples, you can enjoy a unique 360-degree view.
  • Trail 674A Cesi – Sant’Erasmo is a 2.5 km alternative ascent from Cesi to Sant’Erasmo.
  • Trail 674B Cesi – Sant’Erasmo – Monumento Caduti Cimarelli is a 3.3 km climb from Sant’Erasmo to the War Memorial dedicated to partisan Germinal Cimarelli.

Valserra area:

  • Trail 675 Madonna dell’Ulivo – Sella Val di Noce is a 4.2 km trail that starts from the distinctive Church of Madonna dell’Ulivo and with 500 meters of ascent reaches the saddle of Val di Noce.
  • Trail 676 Fountain of Almond – Junction for Torricella is a 2.5 km trail that leads from the Fountain of Madola to the junction for Torricella above Rocca San Zenone.
  • Trail 677 Acquapalombo-Mount La Croce is one of two trails of EE difficulty with an ascent of 420 mt. in 3.5 km, which climbs from Acquapalombo to the scenic summit of Mount La Croce at 934 mt.
  • Trail 678 Acquapalombo – Monte Torricella – Monte La Croce is one of two challenging trails – of EE difficulty with 550 m ascent in 4.7 km, which climbs from Acquapalombo to the scenic summit of Monte La Croce at 934 m via Monte Torricella.
  • Trail 679 Appecano – Colle d’Aiano – Le Piane is a 3.4 km trail with 380 mt. of ascent that climbs from the village of Appecano to the scenic saddle of the same name at 899 mt. reconnecting with Trail 670.
  • Trail 680 Poggio Lavarino – Colle Giacone – Locality Le Prata is a 6.5 km trail with 540 m of ascent that from the village of Poggio Lavarino (link to POI) in Valserra climbs toward Colle Giacone and at locality Le Prata reconnects to Trail 670.
  • Trail 685 Poggio Lavarino – Fonte Acquasalce is a 5.3 km trail with 610 m ascent from Poggio Lavarino to the Fonte Acquasalce locality on the mountain of the same name connecting to Trail 687.
  • Trail 686 Polenaco-Castagnacupa is a beautiful 9.4 km (+650-250) trail from Polenaco to the village of Castagnacupa di Spoleto.
  • Trail 687 Battiferro-Mount Acetella-Forca is a 6.8 km (+370-70) route that starts from the center of Battiferro passes by the slopes of Mt. Calvo, then Penna Armata until it reaches the summit of Mt. Acquasalce (977 mt.) connecting to Trail 685 (link to trail) then continues to the summit of Mt. Acetella (1016 mt.) and descends again to cross Trail 686.
  • Trail 687A Battiferro – I Santi is a 1.4 km siding with 100 m ascent starts from the center of Battiferro to reach I Santi at the highest part of the mountain with views of the whole Valserra.
  • Trail 688 Battiferro – Flaminia Road is an 8-km trail of tourist difficulty (T) with a 450-meter descent that directs from Battiferro to the other side of the mountain to the Flaminia Road in the locality of Castagna near which the Ring of Red Feather Mountain starts.

Valnerina area and Marmore Falls:

  • Trail 619 Anello di Monte Pennarossa is an 8.8-km hiking difficulty (E) loop of great scenic interest due to the presence of wonderful panoramic views including of Marmore Falls. It starts from the locality Castagna along the Via Flaminia and climbs, first touching the village of San Liberatore and then climbing to the top of Mount Pennarossa. There is also the possibility of accessing the loop from the Marmore Falls from Piazzale Vasi.
  • Trail 620 Cascata delle Marmore – Castel di Lago is a hiking difficulty (E) trail of 8,8 km that starts from the parking lots at the top of the Marmore Falls (link to POI) in the direction of the mountains above Piediluco Lake until it reaches the plain along the Nera opposite the beautiful Casteldilago in the municipality of Arrone.
  • Trail 623 Le Marmore – Cimitelle is among the most beautiful trails in our area, with 11 km of hiking difficulty (+150/-650) it heads first to Miranda (link to POI) and then reaches Cimitelle in the municipality of Stroncone.
  • Trail 624 Le Marmore – Moggio is an 11 km hiking trail with a positive ascent of 500 m starting from Marmore Waterfall to Moggio in the Municipality of Rieti.

 

The Way of the Franciscan Protomartyrs

Terni is the place of departure and arrival of one of the most important and evocative spiritual paths in Umbria, the Way of the Franciscan Protomartyrs, a 6-stage experience that retraces the itinerary to discover the 5 villages where the first 5 Franciscans were born who left Umbria to find martyrdom in Morocco on January 16, 1220.

From the Church of Santa Maria della Pace starts the first stage Terni – Stroncone up and down 11 km (+757 / -587 mt.) on the hills of Terni immersed in nature: along the way we meet the remains of the ancient Benedictine Abbey of San Benedetto in Fundis and the Monastery of San Simeone in the territory of the Municipality of Stroncone.

In Cesi (link to POI) comes the fifth and penultimate stage San Gemini – Cesi starting in San Gemini, challenging climb first to Carsulae and then to the magnificent Hermitage of Cesi with a final stretch through the woods. The descent to Cesi ends at the Church of Santa Maria Assunta for 12 km (+ 654 / -540) of pure excitement.

In Terni comes the sixth and final stage of the walk: Cesi – Terni path of 17.6 km (+173 / -825) that passes through the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Oro to finally reach the Church of St. Anthony of Padua – Anthonian Sanctuary of the Protomartyrs.

The Way of Francis

The Via di Francesco passes through Terni and its territory in two of its variants: the Via del Sud: Rome – Assisi and the Via di Roma: La Verna – Assisi – Rome.

The Southern Way: Rome-Assisi

There are four stages involving the territory and Terni during the pilgrimage through the Via del Sud: from Rome to Assisi in 300 km and 19 stages:

The way to Rome: La Verna-Assisi-Rome

There are four stages involving the territory and Terni during the pilgrimage through the Via di Roma: from La Verna to Assisi to Rome in 500 km and 29 stages:

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the territory of terni
Routes, walks and outdoor experiences

The territory of Terni contemplates different places and itineraries for outdoor experiences of all kinds: from aquatic ones along the course of the Nera River, to all the others such as hiking, biking and everything that can be done within places that are devoted to green and slow tourism.

The most picturesque trails of the CAI

There are many CAI trails marked within the area, among the most interesting we suggest the following by area.

Departing from the center of Terni:

  • Trail 622 Terni – Miranda is a hiking difficulty trail of 5.7 km, with an ascent of 400 meters, which starts from Turati Avenue at the height of the Basilica of St. Valentine that from Hippocrates Avenue passes in Colli di Valenza road to climb the hill, with passage in the locality Piefossato, until reaching Miranda.

 

Terre Arnolfe and Carsulae area:

  • Trail 670 Archaeological Area-of-Carsulae-Fountain-of-the-Almond is a challenging 18 km, of hiking difficulty (+685/-840), which starts from the Archaeological Area of Carsulae and climbs to the mount of Torre Maggiore then to the slopes of Mt. Cerignolo and Pizzo d’Aiano reaching Sella di Appecano (899 mt.) and Mount La Croce until descending by the road of the same name to the Madola Fountain.
  • Trail 671 Archaeological Area of Carsulae – Portaria is a short trail of just over 3 km, of tourist difficulty (+150/-140), that starts from the Archaeological Area of Carsulae and climbs toward the village of Portaria in the Municipality of Acquasparta.
  • Trail 672 Archaeological Area of Carsulae – Cesi is a 5.4 km (+/-300 m) hiking difficulty trail, which starts from the Archaeological Area of Carsulae, passes by the ancient castle of Poggio Azzuano and descends to Cesi through a path full of woods and incredible views.
  • Trail 673 Cesi – Colle Zanutto – Le Prata Locality is a 5.6 km hiking difficulty (+500/-100) trail that starts Cesi and climbs first on Colle Zanutto and then joins the upstream slopes of Torre Maggiore with Trail 670.
  • Trail 674 Cesi – Sant’Erasmo – Torre Maggioe is one of the most evocative trails in this area, a 4.2 km climb up that starts in Cesi and with 530 mt. of ascent climbs first in the very ancient plateau of the Sant’Erasmo area  and then reaches the 1121 mt. of the mountain peak of Torre Maggiore and the complex of the Preroman Sanctuary where, in addition to the monumental remains of the two temples, you can enjoy a unique 360-degree view.
  • Trail 674A Cesi – Sant’Erasmo is a 2.5 km alternative ascent from Cesi to Sant’Erasmo.
  • Trail 674B Cesi – Sant’Erasmo – Monumento Caduti Cimarelli is a 3.3 km climb from Sant’Erasmo to the War Memorial dedicated to partisan Germinal Cimarelli.

Valserra area:

  • Trail 675 Madonna dell’Ulivo – Sella Val di Noce is a 4.2 km trail that starts from the distinctive Church of Madonna dell’Ulivo and with 500 meters of ascent reaches the saddle of Val di Noce.
  • Trail 676 Fountain of Almond – Junction for Torricella is a 2.5 km trail that leads from the Fountain of Madola to the junction for Torricella above Rocca San Zenone.
  • Trail 677 Acquapalombo-Mount La Croce is one of two trails of EE difficulty with an ascent of 420 mt. in 3.5 km, which climbs from Acquapalombo to the scenic summit of Mount La Croce at 934 mt.
  • Trail 678 Acquapalombo – Monte Torricella – Monte La Croce is one of two challenging trails – of EE difficulty with 550 m ascent in 4.7 km, which climbs from Acquapalombo to the scenic summit of Monte La Croce at 934 m via Monte Torricella.
  • Trail 679 Appecano – Colle d’Aiano – Le Piane is a 3.4 km trail with 380 mt. of ascent that climbs from the village of Appecano to the scenic saddle of the same name at 899 mt. reconnecting with Trail 670.
  • Trail 680 Poggio Lavarino – Colle Giacone – Locality Le Prata is a 6.5 km trail with 540 m of ascent that from the village of Poggio Lavarino (link to POI) in Valserra climbs toward Colle Giacone and at locality Le Prata reconnects to Trail 670.
  • Trail 685 Poggio Lavarino – Fonte Acquasalce is a 5.3 km trail with 610 m ascent from Poggio Lavarino to the Fonte Acquasalce locality on the mountain of the same name connecting to Trail 687.
  • Trail 686 Polenaco-Castagnacupa is a beautiful 9.4 km (+650-250) trail from Polenaco to the village of Castagnacupa di Spoleto.
  • Trail 687 Battiferro-Mount Acetella-Forca is a 6.8 km (+370-70) route that starts from the center of Battiferro passes by the slopes of Mt. Calvo, then Penna Armata until it reaches the summit of Mt. Acquasalce (977 mt.) connecting to Trail 685 (link to trail) then continues to the summit of Mt. Acetella (1016 mt.) and descends again to cross Trail 686.
  • Trail 687A Battiferro – I Santi is a 1.4 km siding with 100 m ascent starts from the center of Battiferro to reach I Santi at the highest part of the mountain with views of the whole Valserra.
  • Trail 688 Battiferro – Flaminia Road is an 8-km trail of tourist difficulty (T) with a 450-meter descent that directs from Battiferro to the other side of the mountain to the Flaminia Road in the locality of Castagna near which the Ring of Red Feather Mountain starts.

Valnerina area and Marmore Falls:

  • Trail 619 Anello di Monte Pennarossa is an 8.8-km hiking difficulty (E) loop of great scenic interest due to the presence of wonderful panoramic views including of Marmore Falls. It starts from the locality Castagna along the Via Flaminia and climbs, first touching the village of San Liberatore and then climbing to the top of Mount Pennarossa. There is also the possibility of accessing the loop from the Marmore Falls from Piazzale Vasi.
  • Trail 620 Cascata delle Marmore – Castel di Lago is a hiking difficulty (E) trail of 8,8 km that starts from the parking lots at the top of the Marmore Falls (link to POI) in the direction of the mountains above Piediluco Lake until it reaches the plain along the Nera opposite the beautiful Casteldilago in the municipality of Arrone.
  • Trail 623 Le Marmore – Cimitelle is among the most beautiful trails in our area, with 11 km of hiking difficulty (+150/-650) it heads first to Miranda (link to POI) and then reaches Cimitelle in the municipality of Stroncone.
  • Trail 624 Le Marmore – Moggio is an 11 km hiking trail with a positive ascent of 500 m starting from Marmore Waterfall to Moggio in the Municipality of Rieti.

 

The Way of the Franciscan Protomartyrs

Terni is the place of departure and arrival of one of the most important and evocative spiritual paths in Umbria, the Way of the Franciscan Protomartyrs, a 6-stage experience that retraces the itinerary to discover the 5 villages where the first 5 Franciscans were born who left Umbria to find martyrdom in Morocco on January 16, 1220.

From the Church of Santa Maria della Pace starts the first stage Terni – Stroncone up and down 11 km (+757 / -587 mt.) on the hills of Terni immersed in nature: along the way we meet the remains of the ancient Benedictine Abbey of San Benedetto in Fundis and the Monastery of San Simeone in the territory of the Municipality of Stroncone.

In Cesi (link to POI) comes the fifth and penultimate stage San Gemini – Cesi starting in San Gemini, challenging climb first to Carsulae and then to the magnificent Hermitage of Cesi with a final stretch through the woods. The descent to Cesi ends at the Church of Santa Maria Assunta for 12 km (+ 654 / -540) of pure excitement.

In Terni comes the sixth and final stage of the walk: Cesi – Terni path of 17.6 km (+173 / -825) that passes through the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Oro to finally reach the Church of St. Anthony of Padua – Anthonian Sanctuary of the Protomartyrs.

The Way of Francis

The Via di Francesco passes through Terni and its territory in two of its variants: the Via del Sud: Rome – Assisi and the Via di Roma: La Verna – Assisi – Rome.

The Southern Way: Rome-Assisi

There are four stages involving the territory and Terni during the pilgrimage through the Via del Sud: from Rome to Assisi in 300 km and 19 stages:

The way to Rome: La Verna-Assisi-Rome

There are four stages involving the territory and Terni during the pilgrimage through the Via di Roma: from La Verna to Assisi to Rome in 500 km and 29 stages:

Read more
experience the village
Events and traditions in Terni

The city of Terni is full of appointments, shows and events throughout the year, events that run throughout the various seasons.

  • From January to April, Visions in Music is a succession of events that fills the City of Terni with music.
  • February celebrates St. Valentine’s Day, the Patron Saint of Love and of Terni, with events and demonstrations lasting throughout the month: a very important sporting event is the Valentine’s Day Marathon, which is run these days.
  • April 2023 was the first and successful edition of the Terni Influencer & Creator Festival that filled the city with events featuring Italy’s top ingfluencers and creators.
  • One of the most heartfelt initiatives is the Cantamaggio Ternano spring festival that has been staged in Terni, since the late 1800s, from late April to late May and is sublimated with the May floats!
  • From March through September, the Umbria Water Festival events are multiplying, with Terni playing a leading role in some of the most important events.
  • June, July and August are the times of the Baravai that between (mostly) music and theater refreshes the summer in the Terni basin.
  • Mid-July in Piediluco is synonymous with the Festa delle Acque the traditional event to celebrate summer and experience the lake in an alternative way with excursions, cultural meetings, performances and more.
  • The summer months are also dedicated to Carsulae Teatro when the Roman theater is revived with theatrical performances of all kinds.
  • In mid-September Umbria Jazz Weekend lands, every year, in Terni for a weekend of great music under the Umbria Jazz brand.
  • In early October, the Steel Circuit footrace is run a running event that involves both competitive and open to all

There are several other events going on; for a more in-depth look, it is good to reach the dedicated page in the tourist site. 

 

Discover Terni

Discover Terni and its territory:

Take a tour of the historic center

Discover the territory

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Where to stay

Discover the accommodation facilities of the municipality.

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Regione-Umbria

Le Terre dei Borghi Verdi

Welcome in Southern Umbria,
where the slowness becomes value

Information, appointments and travel proposals on:

www.umbriatourism.it

The Progressive Web App is part of the project “Le Terre dei Borghi Verdi”, realized in collaboration and with the contribution of Regione Umbria – Assessorato al Turismo

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©2021 Le Terre dei Borghi Verdi

Regione-Umbria

Le Terre dei Borghi Verdi

Welcome in Southern Umbria,
where the slowness becomes value

logo-regione-umbria-white

Information, appointments and travel proposals on:

www.umbriatourism.it

The Progressive Web App is part of the project “Le Terre dei Borghi Verdi”, realized in collaboration and with the contribution of Regione Umbria – Assessorato al Turismo

Facebook-f Instagram

©2021 Le Terre dei Borghi Verdi