What is the connection between one of the world’s most popular children’s book series and a small hill town in the heart of Umbria? C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, a classic of children’s literature, named the imaginary land where his tales are set after the ancient town of Narni, Umbria, after seeing the name in an atlas as a child.
While Narni, which has preserved its medieval appearance, with stone buildings and narrow cobblestone streets, is mostly off the tourist path, it offers a number of interesting sights, especially if you like mysterious and somewhat haunting sites. One of these is the underground area discovered under the monastery complex of San Domenico, which only came to light in the 1970s.
It is possible to visit the area by joining a guided tour organized by Narni Sotterranea. The guided visit begins at a church dating back to the 12th century, built on the seat of a Roman theater dedicated to Minerva. Now deconsecrated, it used to be the town’s cathedral. The visit proceeds past an ancient Roman tank to the prisons and torture rooms that were used during the Inquisition. Today, visitors can still see the inscriptions left by the suffering prisoners.
For information on tour times and fees, click here.
