Food
The city and its surroundings offer a genuine and tasty cuisine with an influence of the Etruscan and Roman tradition that we find above all in the game, such as the wild wood pigeon or the “ghiotta pigeon”, both cooked on a spit. A typical dish is the “guinea fowl alla leccarda”, stuffed with diced bacon covered with a liver purée and served on a toasted bread crust. Even the processing of pork has, in this land, ancient roots derived from those great butcher masters. Cured meats and hams have unique characteristics, unmistakable aroma and flavour. Typical products are also those derived from the processing of wild boar, which abounds in the woods of the area. You can also taste dishes based on freshwater fish such as trout or the typical carbonaretti, char cooked over an open flame until they become toasted and seasoned with oil and salt, typical of Piediluco. Among the first courses, the traditional “ciriole alla Ternana”, a mixture of water and flour in the shape of earthworms seasoned with a spicy sauce, sometimes enriched with asparagus, mushrooms or truffles. Another first course from Terni are the gnocchetti alla collescipolana, small gnocchi made with flour and breadcrumbs, served with sausage sauce, tomato, bacon and beans. Also renowned outside the region is the “pane di Terni”, a typical salt-free bread prepared exclusively with water, flour and natural yeast and cooked in wood-burning ovens according to ancient methods. Terni bread is suitable for the traditional “bruschetta”, with local extra virgin olive oil.
The “King” of Terni pastry is Pampepato PGI, a typical Christmas cake, a balanced mixture of no less than 16 ingredients, including must, dried fruit, chocolate and spices. Pepper is the fundamental ingredient from which the name derives. To sweetly end a meal, don’t miss the tozzetti, hard biscuits with almonds or hazelnuts, well accompanied with a good Vinsanto DOC.
Points of Interest
Roman Amphitheater: the only Roman monument still partially intact and visible. A part of the structure, in opus reticulatum, still shows the original walls, while all the rest can be easily reconstructed thanks to the perfect overlap between the monument itself and the subsequent medieval and more recent phases, which rested directly on the Roman remains. Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta – Duomo: among the remarkable works of art inside is the monumental organ, whose design is attributed to Bernini and the high altar in polychrome marble, built in the eighteenth century to a design by Carlo Murena, a pupil of Vanvitelli .
Church – Sanctuary of San Francesco: built in 1265, originally with a single nave, it was progressively enlarged until it was transformed into a structure with three naves enriched by a large Renaissance apse and monumental side chapels. From an artistic point of view, the pictorial decorations on the theme of the Last Judgment of the Paradisi Chapel stand out. Of notable interest is the bell tower adorned with mullioned and quadrifore and enriched by a string course in polychrome ceramics.
Church of San Salvatore: its origins date back to the early Middle Ages, it is one of the oldest religious buildings in Terni. The church was later built on the remains of a Roman domus. Currently the building consists of several parts, the result of successive expansions: a short nave with two bays was added to the round cell in the Romanesque era, then the Manassei chapel was built in the fourteenth century. The highly suggestive interior preserves several cycles of frescoes.
Spear of light: a 30-metre-high work of art, better known as the Obelisk by Arnaldo Pomodoro, is the modern symbol of Terni, the works depict the evolution of the art of foundry from the raw iron of the base to the tip which appears to be golden .
Basilica of San Valentino: stands on the site of an ancient Christian cemetery, which represents one of the most important examples of early Christian necropolis existing in Umbria. Dedicated to the patron saint of the city and of lovers, it was built on the martyr’s burial site. Under the main altar, the crystal case containing the reliquary statue of San Valentino is visible.
Marmore Falls: a short distance from the city of Terni, with a drop of 165 metres, divided into three jumps, is one of the highest in Europe. It is an artificial waterfall, dating back to 271 BC. formed by the fall of the Velino river into the underlying Nera river, whose waters are used to feed the Galleto hydroelectric plant. Inside the Parco della Cascata it is possible to follow six paths to admire the waterfalls from various perspectives and enjoy suggestive panoramas or practice a series of outdoor sports
Piediluco lake: where the homonymous village stands, one of the most beautiful in Italy. The place of very ancient origins, dating back to the Bronze Age, is rich in uncontaminated nature. Piediluco, an ideal place for rowing, is the seat of the National Rowing Center of the Italian Rowing Federation. The Olympic national team trains here every year.
