Umbria / Ombrie / Umbrien

Visciano is a rural settlement about 8kms south of Narni, so small, that this church often is named "Santa Pudenziana of Narni". Maybe the hamlet, located near an ancient Roman road, had some (meanwhile forgotten) importance thousand years ago. Not much is known about this church. Most scholars date the building to the 10th or 11th century. It was built, using recycled materials coming from other roman and paleochristian edifices in area. It is characterised by a high belfry tower, raised on the remains of a smaller original tower dated around 7th/8th century. The portico is sustained by two marble columns and two angular pilasters.

Visciano is a rural settlement about 8kms south of Narni, so small, that this church often is named "Santa Pudenziana of Narni". Maybe the hamlet, located near an ancient Roman road, had some (meanwhile forgotten) importance thousand years ago. Not much is known about this church. Most scholars date the building to the 10th or 11th century. It was built, using recycled materials coming from other roman and paleochristian edifices in area. It is characterised by a high belfry tower, raised on the remains of a smaller original tower dated around 7th/8th century. In winter sunset is pretty early in Umbria - and then it often got really foggy.

Visciano is a rural settlement about 8kms south of Narni, so small, that this church often is named "Santa Pudenziana of Narni". Maybe the hamlet, located near an ancient Roman road, had some (meanwhile forgotten) importance thousand years ago. Not much is known about this church. Most scholars date the building to the 10th or 11th century. It was built, using recycled materials coming from other roman and paleochristian edifices in area. It is characterised by a high belfry tower, raised on the remains of a smaller original tower dated around 7th/8th century. Some of the many spolia re-used here.

Visciano is a rural settlement about 8kms south of Narni, so small, that this church often is named "Santa Pudenziana of Narni". Maybe the hamlet, located near an ancient Roman road, had some (meanwhile forgotten) importance thousand years ago. Not much is known about this church. Most scholars date the building to the 10th or 11th century. It was built, using recycled materials coming from other roman and paleochristian edifices in area. Inside there are a nave and two aisles. The apse is elevated, the altar is placed under a ciborium. Two flights of stairs (left and right) lead to the crypt. Within the 13th and 15th century the interior got adorned with frescoes. Some are still visible.

Visciano is a rural settlement about 8kms south of Narni, so small, that this church often is named "Santa Pudenziana of Narni". Maybe the hamlet, located near an ancient Roman road, had some (meanwhile forgotten) importance thousand years ago. Not much is known about this church. Most scholars date the building to the 10th or 11th century. It was built, using recycled materials coming from other roman and paleochristian edifices in area. Down in the crypt, under the elevated apse. It is very rough and probably the oldest part of the church. For Christmas the crypt was equipped with a crib - under a half dome of flickering blue leds.

We reached the center of Narni from the carpark, down in the valley, via two elevators. As soon as we had stepped out we felt like in an enchanted place. Fog was all around us. We reached our room - and watched the mystic sunset from the window. We could hardly make out the outlines of the former monastery and the Chiesa di San Francesco, just a few metres away. At that time we did not know, that Narni had a special treat for us that night.

We reached the center of Narni from the carpark, down in the valley, via two elevators. As soon as we had stepped out we felt like in an enchanted place. Fog was all around us. We reached our room - and watched the mystic sunset from the window. I climbed up to the small roof terrace. The tower of "San Giovenale" seen from up there. At that time we did not know, that Narni had a special treat for us that night.

On our way to a restaurant, we learned from a local gentleman, that this was the very last night of the "Black Festival". He told us, that at 9pm the concert would start in the "Teatro comunale Giuseppe Manini", just in the center of the medieval city. We found the building - and entered a 19th century treasure box. The theatre, created an older building, was inaugurated 3. May 1856. It survived (economically) for a century, but had to be closed in the 1960s. Damaged by an earthquake in the 1970s it got reconstructed and restured to the old splendor. The ceiling painting - and the large chandelier.

We had never heard about the "Black Festival" before - we had walked into the beautiful Teatro Comunale on advice of a local gentleman. This was just a day after Christmas - and we were taken by surprise when the "Soul Explosion" entered the stage - and shifted to "Full Power" within a few seconds. Wow!

We had never heard about the "Black Festival" before - we had walked into the beautiful Teatro Comunale on advice of a local gentleman. This was just a day after Christmas - and we were taken by surprise when the "Soul Explosion" entered the stage - and shifted to "Full Power" within a few seconds. Just ab few minutes later American singer Ty Le Blanc grabbed the mike and started the "turbo charger" with her powerful voice. Ty Le Blanc in Venice: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5wxlU9bsUg - www.tyleblanc.com

We woke up - music and rythm still in our heads. The sun had risen and the fog, that had covered us overnight, was slowly thinning. I could take a photo of the Chiesa di San Francesco now after sunrise from the same pov, I had taken a shot at sunset the evening before.

We woke up - music and rythm still in our heads. The sun had risen and the fog, that had covered us overnight, was slowly thinning. I could take a photo now after sunrise from the same pov, I had taken a shot at sunset the evening before. The tower of "San Giovenale".

The Narni Cathedral (aka "Concattedrale di San Giovenale", "Duomo di Narni") was built from 1047 on and consecrated in 1145 by Pope Eugenius III. A smaller church had existed here since the 6th century. It had been erected over the tomb of San Giovenale, an early missionary in southern Umbria, the first bishop here and today the town´s patron saint. The porticus, seen here, was added to the Cathedral end of the 15th century. The porticus, seen here, was added to the Cathedral end of the 15th century. The cars are not waitig to enter the church, the street turns sharp left at the traffic light.

The Narni Cathedral (aka "Concattedrale di San Giovenale", "Duomo di Narni") was built from 1047 on and consecrated in 1145 by Pope Eugenius III. A smaller church had existed here since the 6th century. It had been erected over the tomb of San Giovenale, an early missionary in southern Umbria, the first bishop here and today the town´s patron saint. The apse from the 12th century got replaced within the 17th century. Originally the church (44 metres long and 22 metres wide) had a nave and two aisles, later a third aisle was added.

The Narni Cathedral (aka "Concattedrale di San Giovenale", "Duomo di Narni") was built from 1047 on and consecrated in 1145 by Pope Eugenius III. A smaller church had existed here since the 6th century. It had been erected over the tomb of San Giovenale, an early missionary in southern Umbria, the first bishop here and today the patron saint of Narni. Inside the cathedral is this chapel, containing the tomb of San Giovenale. It is probably much older than the cathedral. In 878 Adalbert I, Margrave of Tuscany, had attacked Narni. He had stolen the holy bodies of Giovenale, Faustus and Fausta - and damaged the tombs. "Corpora sanctorum abstacta sunt .. sarcofaga rupta sund, mausolea fracta". Adalbert got excommunicated, but the ban was lifted, when he delivered the relics back. To secure the body of San Giovenale, he got secretly re-buried in a cave under the church - and forgotten. The cave was rediscovered in 1642 - and can be reached via the chapel.

The Narni Cathedral (aka "Concattedrale di San Giovenale", "Duomo di Narni") was built from 1047 on and consecrated in 1145 by Pope Eugenius III. A smaller church had existed here since the 6th century. It had been erected over the tomb of San Giovenale, an early missionary in southern Umbria, the first bishop here and today the patron saint of Narni. Inside the cathedral is this chapel, containing the tomb of San Giovenale. It is probably much older than the cathedral. In 878 Adalbert I, Margrave of Tuscany, had attacked Narni. He had stolen the holy bodies of Giovenale, Faustus and Fausta - and damaged the tombs. "Corpora sanctorum abstacta sunt .. sarcofaga rupta sund, mausolea fracta". Adalbert got excommunicated, but the ban was lifted, when he delivered the relics back. To secure the body of San Giovenale, he got secretly re-buried in a cave under the church - and forgotten. The cave was rediscovered in 1642 - and can be reached via the chapel. Here is San Giovenale´s sarcophag, dated o the 7th century.

The Narni Cathedral (aka "Concattedrale di San Giovenale", "Duomo di Narni") was built from 1047 on and consecrated in 1145 by Pope Eugenius III. A smaller church had existed here since the 6th century. It had been erected over the tomb of San Giovenale, an early missionary in southern Umbria, the first bishop here and today the patron saint of Narni. The church got damaged over the centuries by wars, earthquakes and landslides, so it had to be reconstructed and renovated a couple of times. Beneath the "modern" tiles of the nave is are "cosmatesque" mosaics. The style goes back to the Roman family Cosmati, the leading family workshop of marble craftsmen for generations.

Like most towns in Umbria, Narni has a very long history. During the final stage of the Roman Empire, the Ostrogoths, led by Totila, looted the town, then came the Longobards, followed by the Sarascens. Within the 11th century it was property of Matilda of Tuscany (aka "Matilde di Canossa"). In 1167 the town rose against Barbarossa, what ended in a ferocious repression imposed by Barbarossa's chancellor the archbishop Christian of Mainz (aka "Christian von Buch"). Within the 14th century it was included in the reconquest of the papal patrimony by Cardinal Albornoz, who commissioned Ugolino di Montemarte with plans for the buildings around the "Piazza dei Priori", now partly hidden by fog.