Front view of the Rocca of Narni, an imposing medieval stone fortress surrounded by olive trees
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Albornoz Fortress of Narni

The Albornoz Fortress rises imposingly above Narni, overlooking the Nera Gorges like a stone sentinel nestled in lush vegetation. Majestic and silent, it has watched over the territory for centuries, telling a story of power, strategy and architectural splendour.

The stronghold of papal power

This extraordinary fortified complex is part of the system of fortresses commissioned by the Papacy after the end of the Avignon captivity, intended to reaffirm its authority over the territories it had only recently regained. Cardinal Egidio Albornoz, a brilliant strategist and skilled administrator, chose the top of a hill as the site for his fortress—an ideal defensive position from which the routes connecting Narni to Perugia, Terni and Amelia could be controlled.

The fortress was built on the remains of an earlier military settlement attributed to Frederick Barbarossa. It was the last great undertaking of Cardinal Albornoz, commissioned shortly before his death, which occurred on 24 August 1367 in the castle of Bonriposo, near Viterbo.

Ugolino I di Montemarte and the architect Matteo Gattapone probably contributed to the design of the fortress, under the supervision of papal legate Anglico de Grimoard, brother of Pope Urban V. In 1371 the first castellan, Giovanni di Novico, took possession of the fortress, which was completed in 1378.

Among popes, cardinals and condottieri

Between 1370 and 1449 the fortress hosted notable figures: popes, cardinals and military leaders lived within its walls and shaped its history. In 1387 it was attacked by Ugolino Orsini together with the city of Terni; the assault—motivated by the imprisonment of his brother Tommaso on the orders of Urban V—ended only after the hostage was released.

In 1392 Boniface IX, after staying there, entrusted it to the Ghibellines, but in 1395 it fell into the hands of Pandolfo Malatesta, only to return quickly under papal control and then pass to the pope’s brother, Andrea Tomacelli.

In 1417 the renowned condottiero from Perugia Braccio Fortebraccio occupied Narni and the fortress. From 1424 to 1431 it became a fief of the Colonna family, until its definitive return to the Papal States in 1439 under Pope Eugene IV.
 In 1449, during a severe plague epidemic, Pope Nicholas V took refuge in the fortress and ordered major reinforcement works on its defensive structures. These continued throughout the 15th century under Sixtus IV and Innocent VIII.

The 1527 Landsknecht siege

Among the many attacks suffered by the fortress, the 1527 assault by the Landsknechts was the most devastating. Returning from the Sack of Rome, the imperial mercenaries turned their fury against Narni. After an initial victory by the Narnese, the Landsknechts prevailed and destroyed the city.

The fortress resisted further assaults over the centuries until 1798, when the French troops of General Berthier stripped it of its weapons to melt them down for cannons.In 1860 it finally passed to the Kingdom of Italy following its capture by the Umbria Brigade led by General Luigi Masi.

Panoramic view of Narni from the Albornoz fortress, with the surrounding valley covered in woodland.

Narni

Side view from below of the Fortress of Narni, with its crenellated towers and stone walls rising above the vegetation.

Fortress of Narni

The inner courtyard of the Fortress of Narni, with its central well, medieval walls and stone access stairs.

Inner courtyard of the Fortress of Narni

Architecture of a defensive masterpiece

Once protected by a moat and a double curtain wall punctuated by crenellated towers, the fortress has a quadrangular layout with four corner towers, among which rises the imposing keep—four storeys high—formed by the union of two towers. At the inner junction angle, the keep features a distinctive carved corbel shaped like a hand, as if symbolically supporting the entire structure.

Beside the keep stands the smaller body of the fortress, featuring a splendid stone spiral staircase leading to the upper terrace of the tower.

Within the walls lie a charming courtyard with a cistern and a chapel accessible through two elegant portals. A staircase leads to the main floor.

The three towers and the keep: fun facts

The three towers bear traditional names:

  • San Bernardo (north, overlooking Narni)
  • San Jacopo (south)
  • San Filippo (east)

In 1555 the keep was equipped with a culverin called La Scarmigliata, named after the high-relief coat of arms of Narni carved on its barrel, showing a griffin with “ruffled” plumage.

From fortress to prison, and finally to Street Art

From 1834 the fortress was used as a prison until 1906, when it was acquired by Russian prince Mestschezsy, who owned it until 1972.

Now owned by the Municipality of Narni and the Province of Terni, the fortress now hosts in its Piano Nobile a themed exhibition reconstructing daily life in the Middle Ages through reproductions of objects, musical instruments, weapons and period costumes.

Since 2023 it has also housed the SAM – Street Art Museum, the first Italian museum dedicated to urban arts, featuring a permanent collection of around thirty works attributed to Banksy and many others by renowned international street artists, along with documents illustrating the evolution of contemporary street art.

For more information, visit the website of the Rocca di Narni.

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Main attractions in the vicinity