Last minute Itinerari Terni

The Walk, the amphitheatre and the Duomo

In the south western part of Terni an important itinerary connects some among the monuments of greater value of the city. Along the ancient boundaries, dated around the epoch in which Terni was still called from the Romans Interamna, rises the marvellous Anfiteatro Fausto. It's a construction that is traced back to the first decades of the I century A.C. (a headstone points out the date of construction in 32 A.C.), built by Fausto Tizio Liberale, from whom takes the name.

Not too far from Terni, there's another city's symbols: the Cattedrale of Santa Maria Assunta. Its actual aspect derives from a stratified work, that starts around the VI century, when under the bishop Sant'Anastasio in Terni were present some buildings of cult. The crypt was realised in the XI century, while one century later was given to the church its Romanesque shape. To that period are connected the portal and what remains of central rose window (visible from the inside). Consequently other works widened its volume, in the XVII century is realised the ample parvis together with a total   building restructuring. The external arcade is composed by pillars set against ancient columns, surmounted by a band of windows, above which there's a balcony decorated by statues.

The inside has three aisles and introduces a structure that comes from interventions mainly effected during the 1600. The walls are richly decorated by paintings and frescos of notable prestige. In the left aisle is possible to admire the "Madonna of Mercy", a work of the '700 attributed to Carlo Maratta, while in the right aisle, at the same level of the first chapel the sculptural group of the "Pity", realised in the XX century and the "Wedding mysticisms of Saint Caterina", a painting of the XVII century. In the presbytery there's the Grande Tabernacolo, inside which the Relic of the Precious Blood is guarded. Finally, deserves the attention of the visitor the organ too, elegantly worked and decorated by precious embroideries, realised in 1647 by Luca Neri on the drawing of the Bernini, as they confirms some documents discovered in the Commonal Archive of Terni. The most suggestive ancient place is without doubt the Crypt, that goes back to around the VI-VII century and that the researchers believes was the native body above which it's subsequently developed the rest of the building. In its inside conserves some rests of Roman epoch restored in the first years of the XX century. In the niche there is the sepulchre inside which the body of the bishop Sant'Anastasio is deposed.

The two buildings are licked up and surrounded by a green area, known as Passeggiata, a long avenue coasted along by luxuriant gardens and protected by the boundaries.