Otricoli
Otricoli: a small town steeped in Umbrian history
Otricoli is a small Italian town with a population of around 1700, located in the province of Terni in Umbria. The city is steeped in history and culture, with its origins dating back to the Archaic Prehistoric era, followed by the Roman and Medieval periods.
Physical geography
From a climatic standpoint, the city falls within a D zone with GR/G classification.
History
The river terraces of the Tiber have been inhabited since the Archaic Prehistoric era, with a series of riverways and roadways linked to transhumance and the Appennine and Tyrrhenian cultures. Archaeological excavations reveal the presence of an Archaic necropolis in the Cerqua Cupa and Crepafico areas, with a culture similar to that of central Italy in the Tiber valley.
The toponym of Otricoli derives from the word ''ocris-'' in Greek and ''okri-'' in Umbrian, which refers to the "sacred mountain" that represented the entire Umbrian community. During the Social War, Otricoli chose to side with the Italics, which led to its destruction.
The Municipium of Ocriculum was built on a plateau along the Flaminian Way and near the Tiber. Several archaeological findings from the Roman era have survived, dating between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD. In 172 AD, Medico of Otricoli was born and died, later becoming a saint of the Catholic Church.
The Romanesque church in the historic center of Otricoli was built on the foundations of an earlier pagan building, within which Bonze-Iron Age tombs were also discovered. During the Middle Ages, the population moved to the higher part of the river terrace for safety, where today's historic center of Otricoli is located, near the Flaminian Way.
In the last twenty years of the 18th century, the excavations of the Roman city brought to light numerous and important artifacts, including the "Zeus of Otricoli", a treasure preserved in the Vatican Museums.
The surrounding area of Otricoli boasts numerous archaeological sites, including the Archaeological Area of Ocriculum and the Archaic Necropolis of Cerqua Cupa and Crepafico.
Religious architecture
The Collegiate of Santa Maria Assunta in Otricoli is worth noting.
Conclusion
Otricoli is a small town steeped in Umbrian history, with an incredibly rich culture. Its origins date back to the Archaic Prehistoric era, followed by the Roman and Medieval periods, with numerous traces left behind by the past. The town is a historical treasure of the province of Terni, offering a variety of archaeological sites and religious architecture of great interest.
