Narni is a medieval town located an hour's drive from Lake Trasimeno and Rome.
The Latin name Narnia inspired writer C. S. Lewis to write his famous Chronicles.
Rich in churches, monuments, and works of art, it preserves a subterranean area full of surprises, discovered in 1979 by a group of young speleologists and opened to the public in 1994, today known as Narni Sotterranea.
Beneath the remains of a Dominican convent are a fully frescoed and now restored 13th-century church, a Roman cistern, the remains of a domus, and, most importantly, dungeons of the Inquisition, with graffiti left by condemned prisoners. The visit continues in the upper church of Santa Maria Maggiore, where recent excavations have uncovered a Byzantine mosaic and a Romanesque crypt.
Tourists are drawn into the history thanks to guides who illustrate the moment of the discovery, the protagonists, and the stories of those locked up in the prisons of the Holy Office.
Thanks to research conducted by volunteers of the Association, which discovered the underground passages and now manages and cares for the site, the story of a man imprisoned for bigamy who escaped from prison by killing the guard has come to light, but above all, a Freemason who left an esoteric will on the walls in 1759.
But there are more discoveries to be had and more research is ongoing.
Another stop in the urban underground is NarniAdventures, the world's first adventure park in a medieval cistern! Beneath the 14th-century fountain in Pazza Garibaldi lies a vast space now transformed into an adventure park, combining high-altitude trails with educational activities to help visitors understand the importance of water for life. Fun is guaranteed for adults and children alike; visitors must be at least 130 cm tall.
