In Latin the town was called Narnia, and C. S. Lewis is widely believed to have taken the name for his magical land from an old atlas where he found it. Whether or not that is true, Narni has embraced the connection, and it does have something of a storybook quality: a medieval hill town perched on a rocky spur above the gorge of the Nera river, with towers, churches, narrow streets and a fortress on the summit. Some claim it is the geographical centre of Italy, and a monument in the valley marks the spot.
Below the town, the remains of the Ponte d'Augusto, a huge Roman bridge that carried the Via Flaminia across the Nera, stand in the river, a single great arch still intact. Beneath the town, a group of local explorers found a series of underground rooms, including a cell used by the Inquisition, with graffiti scratched into the walls by prisoners; tours of Narni Sotterranea are fascinating. The condottiero Erasmo da Narni, better known as Gattamelata and immortalised in Donatello's equestrian statue in Padua, was born here.
The Nera gorge east of Narni is a beautiful stretch of road, winding along the river between steep, wooded slopes, towards Terni. Beyond Terni, the Cascata delle Marmore is one of the highest waterfalls in Europe, created by the Romans in the third century BC to drain a marshy plain, and its flow is still controlled today, turned on and off according to a timetable for hydroelectric power. Seeing the water released is a spectacular sight.
Narni has fuel and services in the lower town of Narni Scalo, and bars and restaurants in the old town. The roads around Narni are excellent for riding, winding through the hills of southern Umbria, with olive groves, oak woods and small villages, and fine views at every turn. The approach to the old town is steep and twisty, with narrow streets at the top, so it is best to park below and walk up. Summers are hot; spring and autumn are perfect.