Piazza Garibaldi

Piazza Garibaldi (Garibaldi Square) was once called Lake Square or Lacus square because of a large cistern used during the Middle Ages to provide water during sieges.

Today the square is the center of Narni and the cistern has become an adventure path, which tell the importance and value of water.

The square in the center of Narni.

The tour around the old town starts from this square with at the center the splendid medieval fountain and around ancient structures which characterize one of the most important places of Narni:

a medieval tower overlooks the square and anticipates Via XX Settembre through which you go up until the Fortress;
the little ramp which alongside on the left the civil tower of the clock, the lateral entrance of the Cathedral of San Giovenale and, on the right, the mole of the Palazzo Vescovile (=Bishop’s palace);
down, the Via dell’Arco Romano and one of the sons more illustrious of Narni, the Imperator Marcus Cocceius Nerva.

The Fountain of Piazza Garibaldi.

At the center of the square there is the fountain re-built in 1527 with a pentagonal plan, made up of eight mirrors made with bricks.

Outside there are some shell-shaped containers, where even today you can see the signs of the buckets with which water was drawn.

In the middle of the fountain is visible a bronze column dominated by a cup which, below the rim, is decorated by ten animal feline’s heads with cane function and interspersed with coats of arms with the winged griffin.

The cistern of the Lacus and NarniAdventures.

Piazza Garibaldi preserves, under the decking , one of the most surprising underground places of Narni: the Lacus, an ancient roman cistern built by a vault in tanned stone vault and floor in opus spicatum.

From 2019 , the cistern, guests NarniAdventures an educational and fun adventure trail for families and children.

Piazza Garibaldi is located in the old town of Narni and it’s the place of the start of the walk to the old town.