Ancient Torture Chambers and Inquisition Trials Unveiled in Narni
In 1979 six members of the local speleological team of UTEC of Narni, in Umbria, below the ruins of an ancient Dominican monastery, discovered a small hole, covered by dense bushes and thick grass.
In 1979, six members of the local speleological team, UTEC of Narni, in Umbria, discovered a small hole beneath the ruins of an ancient Dominican monastery. The entrance was hidden by dense bushes and thick grass.
The first room they uncovered was an old church, built in the 12th-13th centuries, with its frescoes covered by a thin layer of limestone. Restoration efforts began with the help of local sponsors and volunteers.
The researchers found a series of paintings by Umbrian artists from the Middle Ages. These depicted a compassionate and bleeding Christ, the four symbols of the Evangelists, the coronation of Mary, and portraits of St. Michael.
Nearby the church, there is a room carved into the stone, where the team discovered an ancient Roman cistern dating back to the first century AD. This area now features a virtual tour of the Formina aqueduct, which was built by Marcus Cocceius Nerva, the grandfather of a future Roman emperor. The aqueduct is 13 miles long.
A door, initially found walled up in 1979 and reopened the same year by the six explorers, leads to the most secret part of the monastic complex. A long corridor ends in a large room, once known as the “Room of Torment,” a name found in documents from the Vatican Archives. The Holy Inquisition established its headquarters here after the Council of Trent.
A document from a 1726 trial held in Dublin describes the daring escape of Domenico Ciabocchi, who was considered heretical for bigamy. He took advantage of a sutler’s fatal distraction to strangle him with a rope and escape.
On one side of this large room, there is a small door that provides access to a prison cell. The walls and low ceiling are covered with an incredible number of arcane graffiti. The prisoners etched their sufferings into the rock using white plaster and sharp shards.
Particularly noteworthy is the story of Giuseppe Andrea Lombardini, who spent 90 days in this cell in 1759. He translated his messages of peace, freedom, and justice into a symbolic language known only to a few, composed of Masonic, alchemical elements, and Kabbalistic graffiti.
The final area is the majestic church of Santa Maria Maggiore, known today as San Domenico. Until the 13th century, it served as the cathedral of Narni. This building houses a Byzantine mosaic from the 6th century.
Pictures courtesy by Marco Santarelli
Thanks to Roberto Nini, narnisotterranea.it
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