Narni
Let's discover the history of Narni
Hi! Today I want to tell you a bit about the history of Narni, a town in the province of Terni, Umbria. It's home to around 18,000 people and is a very ancient city that has been home to many civilizations over the centuries.
The first inhabitants and the arrival of the Romans
The area around Narni was already inhabited in the Paleolithic era, as demonstrated by some important archaeological findings. Later, around the beginning of the first millennium BC, a population belonging to the Apennine culture settled in the area, giving rise to the settlement called "Nequinum".
In 300 BC, the city was besieged by Quintus Appuleius Pansa, a consul of the Roman Republic, but his attempts were in vain due to the impervious position of Narni. It was only in 299 BC that Rome managed to enter the city thanks to the betrayal of two local residents. From that moment on, Narni became a Roman colony and a strategic center along the Via Flaminia.
The name change from Narnia to Narni
To punish the support given to the Gauls and considering the settlement of Nequinum to be of bad omen (as the name in Latin meant "I can't" or "uselessness"), the Romans changed the name of the city to "Narnia", after the name of the nearby river Nar, which is now called Nera.
It is not certain when the ancient name of Narnia was changed to Narni, but until the end of the 19th century there were still inscriptions with the old name. Writer Walter Hooper, biographer of C.S. Lewis, author of "The Chronicles of Narnia", has interesting opinions on the name's origins.
Symbols of the city
Another curiosity concerns a legend from Narni that tells of a griffin that was located between Narni and Perugia. The two cities were at war and joined forces to kill the creature. Once dead, Perugia kept the bones (white) and Narni kept the skin (red).
This is just a part of the history of Narni, a city that has many other secrets to reveal. I hope you enjoyed this mini history lesson!
