The Real-Life Narnia In Italy...

Narni in Italy is an old and beautiful hill-town that is located in the central Italian region of Umbria and is often better known by its ancient Roman name of Narnia.

The town is not the snowy wonderland from C.S. Lewis' famous series of books but it did inspire the author in his creation of that beloved fictional universe. He never visited Narni but knew of the town from reading Roman history and writers such as Tacitus, Livy, and Pliny the Elder.

Lewis' former secretary also noted that had specifically told him that the name on the atlas had inspired him in the writing of his Chronicles.

Located about 50 miles north of Rome, it is a place that any fans of Narnia will find interesting if they have found a vacation rental in Rome and are planning for day trips during their stay.

While, the town may not be the same as the fictional Narnia there are some similarities and commonalities between the two. One of these is the large pre-Roman stone table near the Via Flaminia, which is similar to the stone table in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where the lion, Aslan, sacrifices himself to save Edmund. Another link between the real and fictional towns is Lucia of Narnia, who is a parallel of Lucy Pevensie, the youngest child of four siblings in the tale. Images of Lucia and lions are scattered all over the city today, to strengthen and emphasise the connection with the series, which has been very much embraced by citizens.

In 2009, the aforementioned secretary and Lewis' biographer, Walter Hooper, gave Narni’s local historian, Giuseppe Fortunati, a copy of a Latin atlas owned by Lewis in which he had underlined Narnia. This solidified the connection between the town and the books forevermore.

Even if you're not a big fan of the books, it is still a pretty and historic imposing hilltop town that overlooks the Nera Valley and makes for the perfect place to take a breather from the crowds and queues of Rome for a day.