Nepi
A unique territory: Nepi
Hi everyone! This is an article for those who want to discover a charming corner of Italy, a small treasure hidden in the province of Viterbo, in Lazio. I am talking about the town of Nepi, an ancient village with about 9,284 inhabitants.
Physical geography: a suggestive territory
The territory of Nepi extends over a vast area, known as Agro Falisco, delimited by the Sabatini Mountains to the south and southwest, by the Cimini Mountains and the Tiber Valley to the north and east. This landscape appears flat and moved by sinuous hills, but as soon as you decide to explore it, a world of deep gorges and wild ravines that characterize the territory opens up.
The "Forra", which are wide valleys delimited by sub-vertical walls carved by the millennial erosive action of the torrents on the volcanic subsoil, make Nepi a unique territory. They are the result of eruptive activities of two volcanoes, the Vicano and Sabatino complex, dating back about 600,000 and 20,000 years ago. The erosion progress of the two watercourses, Rio Falisco to the north and Rio Puzzolo to the south, in the basin of the Treja River, isolated a triangular tuff spur, delimiting sub-vertical walls, where the historic center of the country is located.
Human settlement
The morphology of the Nepi territory has favored the creation of rock settlements and necropolises since ancient times. In fact, the consistency of local tuff has facilitated the creation of rocky settlements, while the Forre have created naturally defended places. The gorge starting from Nepi almost reaches Civita Castellana and is known as the Valle Suppentonia, the length of which exceeds one hundred meters in some points.
The village of Nepi, a city built in ancient times, has been significantly influenced by these characteristics. The adaptation of man to this morphology has been the matrix of the architectural and above all urbanistic developments of every settlement in the area. Examples of this are the pre-Roman cut roads, which connected the Forre to the tuff plains.
Nepi: a city rich in history
The history of Nepi dates back to ancient times, from prehistory to the beginning of the Iron Age. Numerous archaeological finds testify to the settlement of man in this very suggestive territory.
Among the significant elements of the city, we mention the Chiesa di de San Biagio, the Palazzo Baronale and the Torre dell'Orologio and the painting by Guttuso which is located in the headquarters of the Casaletto Doria Pamphili Institute.
Conclusion
Discovering Nepi means immersing yourself in wild nature and a unique territory, where agriculture and the art of man have adapted to the morphology of the place. I recommend taking a tour of Nepi, where you can enjoy tranquility and discover the beauty of the territory.
