Narni Scalo Walk

Most people arrive at Narni by train, alighting at the railway station at Narni Scalo.  Until 1945, this was the industrial area of Narni, but it has since become a thriving residential area.  There are frequent bus services from the station to the historical centre.

If you are staying in Narni for a few days, it is certainly worth returning to Narni Scalo.  The interesting church of Santa Maria del Piano, which is now the cemetery church, is only open for Mass between 9am and 10am on Sundays.  There is a Sunday bus service from Piazza Garibaldi - alight at the cross-roads as you enter Narni Scalo, one stop before the station.  Cross the road and continue past the flower stalls to the cemetery.  The church is on the right.

Retrace your steps to the main road and continue straight across the crossroads.  Turn left at the end of the road: Santa Maria del Ponte is immediately on the right.

Retrace your steps a little way to the junction, and then continue straight ahead to rejoin the main road nearer to Narni.  Turn left through the road tunnel and then across the railway line and river.  There is a nice view of the Ponte di Augusto below, with Santa  Maria del Ponte behind you. 

To get down to the bridge, walk down the stepped street on the left, just before the bar at Tre Ponte, and turn left at the bottom. 

Ponte di Augusto (27 BC)

The bridge that took Via Flaminia across the Nera was almost certainly rebuilt at the time of the Emperor Augustus' restoration of the road.  It originally spanned some 160 metres and had three or perhaps four arches.  If there were only three arches, the central one must have been among the widest that the Romans ever built.

The bridge began to collapse in ca. 1050.  Today, only one of the arches survives.  Unfortunately, it has been over-restored since this picture was taken.

Read more: Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell' Umbria 

Retrace your steps a little way and then turn left over the river.  This footbridge replaced a medieval bridge that was used when the Roman bridge became unusable.  There is a nice view of the Abbazia di San Cassiano through the arch of Ponte di Augusto from the footbridge. 

The path to San Cassiano is signposted from the junction ahead.  It runs left between the railway line and the river, passing the remains of the fallen arches of Ponte di Augusto on the left, and then across a car park before winding up through the woods to the abbey.  The monk who now tends it says Mass each Sunday at 4pm: to arrange a visit at any other time, call 0744 72 20 80 or 347 22 39 395.

Return to Tre Ponte and cross the main road.  The minor road ahead winds steeply up to Porta Pietra (13th century).   Imperial forces passed through this gate in 1527, after the sack of Rome.  They destroyed the city gate ahead, and it was replaced by Porta Nuova (16th century).

Porta Pietra	Porta Nuova

Turn left through Porta Nuova to Piazza Garibaldi, where the walk ends.