Last minute Itinerari Narni

Il Duomo di Narni

The main city entrance is constituted by the thick Porta Ternana (or Porta delle Arvolte), solid construction of the XV century, characterised by the presence of two low but imposing cylindrical towers. Continuing along the main street (Via Roma), there's the Arco del Vescovo the ancient Porta Superiore built in Roman epoch. The arc is the line of union among the two main squares of Narni, Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Cavour, from which is possible to access to the main entrance of the Duomo.

The Duomo and the Sacello di San Giovenale
The Duomo di San Giovenale is the heart of Narni, built in honour of its first bishop and patron of the city. The church was built during the XII century and consecrated in 1145, on the rests of a building of preceding cult, built around the sepulchre of the saint. The main entrance is situated in Piazza Cavour, even if the more imposing and stately turns toward Piazza Garibaldi. The façade is typically Romanesque, anticipated by a beautiful portico decorated by friezes in bas-relief, while from the opposite part it opens an elegant open gallery culminating in the Cappella dei Muratori, inside which is found the baptismal source of the XVI century.

The inside is composed by three main aisles, to which a fourth grade realised in Renaissance epoch is added. The progression of the aisles is articulated by a succession of reduced arcs, in a style that boasts many examples in the area of Narni, while leaning to the principal pillars close to the apse, are risen two valuable pulpits of marble built by the comacini teachers.

But the most suggestive part in the Duomo is certainly that knew as Oratorical of San Cassio or the Sacello of San Giovenale and San Cassio. It's an archaic, symbolic and very revered place, a Palaeo-Christian document from the unique beauty. The entrance is composed by a marmoreal front realised with material coming from a Roman sarcophagus of the VI century, with cosmateschi panels and mosaics datable always around the VI century.

The sarcophagus in which was the body of San Giovenale is situated behind a low entrance, inside a small cavern dug in the rock. The floor is indeed notable: a whole heterogeneous and different materials absolutely approached messy and casually, but in a such way to return an image of great expressive strength. Fragments and rests of other floorings, materials coming from destroyed buildings, stones and remote finds give life to what today appears as an archaeological mosaic without time.

The front of the Sacello is adorned by precious statues and frescos, and from a marvellous mosaic portraying the "Cristo Benedicente" of the IX century.