The city of Saint Valentine, but also the city of the steelworks. The city among the waters, the ancient Roman Interamna, but also a city redesigned and rebuilt by well-known architects and urbanists after its destruction during the second World War.

The chief town offers visitors many surprises to discover and an interesting overall impression, above all for its continuous evolution.

Vestiges of every epoch lead along an itinerary which starts at the first traces of the city, dating back to the 7^th century B.C. with an interesting visit to the original Archeological Museum (ex Siri Area – via Giandimartalo di Vitalone), moving on to the Roman period, which gave a strong imprint to the city with its walls and the amphitheatre (near the Passeggiata public park) whose ruins have recently been brought to light and restored thanks to a long and accurate excavation campaign.

During the first centuries of Christianity, the extraordinary figure of Saint Valentine is referred to; the first Bishop of Terni and patron saint of lovers all over the world. His tomb, with the Saint and Martyr’s body, is preserved in the basilica of the same name, upon a hill not far from the centre: next to it there is a convent, today used as a University.

Evidence of Medieval Terni is to be found in its historical centre with Palazzo Mazzancolli, premises of the State Archives (open to the public in Via Cavour), the numerous towers (the Barbarasa Tower in Via Roma) and the Sanctuary of San Francesco.

One of the most important in the city, the church was begun in 1265 according to a design by Filippo da Campello. To the central nave, of essential lines which recall those of the Saint Francis of Assisi Basilica, two lateral aisles were subsequently added in the xvth century. The interior contains a notable cycle of frescos in the Cappella Paradisi (Paradisi Chapel) which depict the Last Judgement painted by Bartolomeo di Tommaso (late Giottesque School). The 15^thcentury bell tower is decorated with polychrome green and blue ceramics, with opposed double and four-lancet windows on every side.

In the Counter-Reformation period, Terni was upgraded with numerous noble buildings which can still be admired in all their splendour in the elegant, completely restored pedestrian historical centre, and in particular in proximity to the Cathedral.

The Cathedral, dedicated to saint Mary of the Assumption, was built upon one of the city’s first Christian buildings, of which traces remain of the apse, recently brought to light under the colonnade, and of the crypt which may be entered from inside the church. The Cathedral’s present appearance is due to the 17^thcentury restorations. On the inside, on the right, above the polychrome altar, there is the splendid organ made from a Bernini design. The bell-tower, however, belongs to the 18^th century. On the face, protected by a porch, are two medieval portals. On the side of the main one, the profile of a clog is depicted, on which women’s shoes could be measured in order not to exceed the appointed height, which would otherwise be considered indecent.

Piazza Duomo (Cathedral Square) is surrounded by important noble palaces. The most relevant is Palazzo Bianchini-Riccardi, 16^th century, right opposite the Cathedral.

Palazzo Spada (Municipal Hall) was erected between the 16^th and 17^thcenturies on a design by Anthony from Sangallo the younger. The inside is decorated with frescos. Particularly fascinating is the Council Hall, decorated by the Flemmish Van Mander, with scenes which represent the slaughter of the Huguenots and the battle of Lepanto.

Palazzo Gazzoli, however, dates back to the 18^th century, and located in via del Teatro Romano, seat of the Picture Gallery which contains the extraordinary Pala Francescana by Piermatteo d’Amelia and the works of the ternano Orneore Metelli, one of the greatest naïve painters.

The Corso del Popolo area is one of the most interesting parts of modern Terni planned by the architects Mario Ridolfi and Wolfgang Frankl, with its enormous “Lance of Light” obelisk by Arnaldo Pomodoro, which is 35 metres high and made in steel in 1993: the reutilization of the dismantled industrial areas of the Ex-Bosco Workshops (today premises of the Multimedia Centre – piazzale Bosco) and the ex-Siri (Via Lungonera Campofregoso – via Giandimartalo di Vitalone), today used as a large cultural centre with museums and exhibition areas; the new Piazza della Repubblica which stands on the site of the ancient Roman Forum, with the Bibliomediateca which blends the ancient municipal palace with the new steel and glass architecture of the reconstructed city tower.

Information I.A.T. Terni
Via Cassian Bon 2/4 – TerniTel. 0744.423047
e-mail: info@iat.terni.it

Province of Terni – Tourism Service
Via Plinio il Giovane 21 – Terni
Tel. 0744.483546/570/587 – fax 0744.483557
e-mail: turismo@provincia.terni.it

Collescipoli and Cesi

Around Terni, the village of Collescipoli is to be visited, with its elegant 16^thand 18^th century buildings, among which Palazzo Gelasi (today used as a University) and the Collegiate di Santa Maria Maggiore, whose interior is a delicious, late Baroque Jewel, which presents stucco-work decorations. Santa Maria contains an extremely rare, late 17^th century Hermans organ, used together with the other historical organs in the village for an interesting festival held every year.Cesi (9 km from Terni), is rooted to the slopes of the Martan mountains and forms a splendid balcony over the Terni basin.Inside the village (once capital of the Terre Arnolfe which stretched between Terni and Spoleto), the great palace of the Cesi family and the Romanic San Michele Arcangelo (The Archangel St. Michael), today an auditorium.

Stroncone is located in the south part of the Terni basin (10 km from Terni) at the top of an open hill 450 metres high, which forms a kind of natural balcony overlooking the Terni basin. The village has a medieval aspect and has preserved most of walls built from the 10^th century onwards.Before reaching the inside of the village, you pass the San Francesco Church (St. Francis), founded by the Saint in 1213, which contains interesting frescos. Just outside the main entrance stands a monumental 17^th century fountain.

After the entrance you enter a charming little square with an ancient well. On one side stands the Church of S. Giovanni Decollato ( St. John Decollate). The Church of S. Nicolò (St. Nicholas) with its Romanic colonnade, decorated with a Byzantine bas-relief, however, occupies a dominant position. The entrance to the Palazzo del Comune (Town Hall), through a flight of stairs and a colonnade, is enchanting.The palace was built in the XIth century and conserves nine parchments decorated with precious illustrated, historiated capital letters.

San Gemini (12 km from Terni in the direction of Perugia, along the E45), was marked on the route of the ancient Via Flaminia and known by the name of Casventum since the ancient Roman period. Its maximum splendour was reached in the 14^thcentury (which is revived in the Giostre dell’Arme festival), when it obtained independence from Narni and became a free municipal.The Gothic 13^th century church of san Francesco (St. Francis), with its frescos depicting Saints Cosma and Damiano, a cult imported from the neighbouring Carsulae, and which may have given birth to the name of the town (Santi Gemelli – twin saints), which others attribute to a Syriac Monk named Yemin, is worth visiting.After passing the gateway to be found on the town hall square, you enter the medieval part of the village.

After a narrow street, the road opens once more onto the Capitan del Popolo (People’s Captain) square, with its palace and 14^th century tower which contains the Campana delle Adunanze (Assembly Bell). Outside the walls stands the XIth century Abbazia di San Nicolò (San Nicolò Abbey). In a stupendous park (pay to enter) stand the springs of the famous mineral waters only 3 kilometres away.

Acquasparta (20 km from Terni in direction of Perugia along the E45) was the first site of the Accademia dei Lincei (Academy of the Lincei), founded at the beginning of the 17^th century by Duke Federico Cesi. It is in fact, a village, which the Cesi family had obtained not many years before from the Farnese family. The Duchy of Cesi also left its mark on the history of Acquasparta from an architectural as well as urbanistic point of view. On the site of the ancient fortress, the Cesi family built the beautiful Renaissance palace that can still be admired today in the square bearing Federico’s name. The inside contains the splendid Throne room, with its wooden coffered ceiling, 17^thcentury frescos and a splendid open gallery with views onto the garden below.The Corso Lincei (Lincei Course) leads to the parish church of Santa Cecilia ( St Cecily) containing the tomb of Federico Cesi.The Cappella del Santissimo Sacramento (Chapel of the Most Sacred Sacrament), with a mosaic hauled from nearby Carsulae is in front of the Church. Just outside the walls stands the elegant Church of San Francesco (St Francis) and the Amerino Spa with its surrounding park.Not far from the San Giovanni dè Butris (St. John de Butris) cemetery, stands an isolated Romanic church, once the headquarters of the Knights of Malta, with a really singular characteristic: it was built above the two arches of a Roman bridge positioned along the ancient Flaminia road (via Flaminia) still marked today and still today viable on foot up to another bridge (Ponte Fannaia) near the Christian catacombs (open to the public).