This town lies at 130 m. above sea level in a wide flat hollow near the confluence of the Serra and the Nera rivers.
Once an ancient Umbrian settlement, it became a Roman municipium and acquired some importance as a trading centre. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the Barbarian invasions, Terni was ruled by Goths and Byzantines;
later (6th century) it became part of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto, which fell to the Carolingians in 774. After the end of that dynasty, Popes and German Emperors fought over the duchy and it was finally annexed to the Papal States in 1198. However, the town itself was governed by local overlords. Terni was not returned to Papal rule until 1420 and from that date it shared the vicissitudes of the Papal States, until annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
Monuments: Church of S. Salvatore (paleochristian, 5th century, with later additions), Church of St. Francis (13th-15th century, Gothic), Church of San Pietro (16th century, Romanesque), the Church of San Lorenzo (12th century), Palazzo Carrara (19th century), Palazzo Mazzancelli (14th century), Palazzo Spada (16th century) the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre (1st century AD.), Church of St. Valentino (with the tomb of the patron saint of lovers).
Terni is the region's most important industrial area, a result of the availability of hydro-electric power and of adequate road and railway links. Together with the traditional metallurgical factories, there are chemical, engineering, textile, clothing and printing works.
Events: Terni May Day celebrations (night of April 30th), Water Festival (June 24th-29th), International Piano Competition. (May).
Famous People: Publius Cornelius Tacitus (Latin historian, 55-120), Lucius Anneus Florus (Latin historian, 1st-2nd century AD.), Francesco Angeloni (historian, 1559-1650).
Cultural Institutions: Town Library, Prehistoric and Archaeological Museums, Art Gallery, State Institute of Arts.
In the Province: Amelia (wrought-iron and embossed copper craftwork shops); Narni (Romanesque cathedral, Piazza dei Priori, a medieval square), Sangemini (spa; nearby Carsulae, with the ruins of an ancient Roman town); Orvieto (famous Duomo, Archaeological Museum, Museo dell'opera del Duomo, Pozzo di San Patrizio; Feast of the Dove, Whit Sunday).
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