The real Narnia is found in Italy and now the world is discovering it

Not everyone knows it, but "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis has Italian roots: for the name of his novel, in fact, the writer was inspired by our Narni.

Very famous series of novels, translated into 47 languages ​​and with more than one hundred million copies sold, "The Chronicles of Narnia" has (surprisingly) its roots in Italy.

His actor, CS LewisHe fell madly in love with the name Narnia found on an ancient Latin geographic map, so much so that he used it for his stories. What not everyone knows is that Narnia indicated a place in Italy. Which? Obviously Narni, who the final “a” has remained for about two thousand years. Older even than Rome (estimated to be around 2700 years old), Narnia was once known for its strategic and dominant position. The same one that, in Roman and medieval times, gave him a leading role.

Narni, with just under twenty thousand inhabitants in the province of Terni, in the heart of Umbria, was called Narnia throughout the period between the 3rd century BC. and until the 13th century, although the change only became effective after the French Revolution. The writer Walter Hopper, secretary and biographer of C.S., addressed the topic. Lewis – spoke several times in his books about that name and the place linked to it.

“When Walter Hooper asked C.S. Lewis where he found the word Narnia, Lewis showed him his atlas. Murray's little classic atlas., and. GB Grundy (1904), which he had bought when he was reading the classics with his tutor Kirkpatrick at Great Bookham. On page 8 of this atlas there is a map of Italy with Latin inscriptions. Lewis had pointed out the name of a small town called Narnia, simply because he loved the sound of the word.. Narnia – or “Narni” in Italian – is located in Umbria, halfway between Rome and Assisi", we read in his "C.S. Lewis: a biography” in 2002.

And this is not the only suggestion to which the city of Narnia - Narni is linked. Legend has it that, during the Middle Ages, in the territory between Narni and Perugia a griffin lived against which the two, until then at war with each other, joined forces. Joining forces, the two centers managed to kill him: Perugia kept his bones as a trophy (which is why the Gryphon on Perugia's flag is white), and Narni kept his skin (whose Gryphon is red).

More reasons to visit this extraordinary center, which holds wonders both above and below ground. And that the entire world, thanks also to the work of C.S. Lewis, you're getting to know each other.