Discover the Art and architecture of the town and then search for the various monasteries built high in the hills with stupendous views; in one of which St.Francis of Assisi spent time. Discover the local festivals in medieval streets, or take picnics up into the woods and relish the stunning vistas. May and June are the biggest festival times. Don’t miss the horses' race for the rings, food and crafts festivals that take place all spring and into summer.
Where Via Flaminia eventually reached the end of the Nera gorge the Romans founded Narnia, on the site of a previous town they had conquered in 299 BC. The location of the Roman town is visible. Via Flaminia crossed the river on a very high and imposing bridge built as part of a major improvement of Via Flaminia ordered by Emperor Augustus. The Romans modified the original landscape in order to obtain a sort of long and narrow terrace at the top of the hill. Parts of the arches and walls of Narnia can still be seen at several points of today's Narni.
Narni suffered from the fall of the Roman Empire, but after the year 1000, due to its position on a main trading route, it profited from the recovery of the Italian economy. The town was situated at the perfect strategic position which made it easy to defend, but its inhabitants had to deal with internal strife and the main families lived inside house-towers: some of them were turned later into bell towers and they were spared by the XIVth century decrees of the papal government which placed limits on the height of private buildings.