Rocca Albornoziana, Narni
Facts and practical information
The Rocca Albornoziana of Narni is a stronghold located in the town of the same name in southern Umbria.
It was built in 1367 for defensive purposes at the behest of Cardinal Egidio Albornoz and is located at 332 m a.s.l. It dominates the town and the valley of the Nera River from a very favorable strategic position. It overlooks, on one side, the Ternana basin, being able to easily control the access roads to Perugia, Amelia and Terni; on the other side it faces SSO, dominating the Via Flaminia and the road to Orte and Lazio. This made it, historically, the sentinel at the southern gateway to Umbria.
Built according to very precise defensive schemes, protected by a strong wall and surrounded by a moat, it endured quite a few assaults, including that of the Lansquenets returning from the 1527 Sack of Rome assisted by the Terni militia, who instead conquered and devastated the city of Narni below. Various castellans took turns in its command, and popes such as Boniface IX and Nicholas V were hosted within its walls. After ups and downs and a general decay, it was purchased and restored by the municipality of Narni and the Province of Terni, which restored it to its former glory.
Narni
Umbria