AMELIA, UMBRIAN GEMMA

Amelia is an Umbrian town in the province of Terni. Located at 406 meters above sea level, it has 12,000 inhabitants. Amelia is the oldest Umbrian city, even remembered by Cicero. The village has pre-Roman origins, it is estimated around 1000 BC. C, later conquered by Rome who called it Ameria, always maintained a privileged relationship with it, so much so that it was allowed to mint coins. It preserves megalithic polygonal walls from the V-IV century BC. C, cisterns and Roman doors and delightful medieval alleys. In the Middle Ages it was a very active municipality but its great historical season coincides with the Renaissance, thanks to the noble families. The archaeological museum is noteworthy, rich in historical artifacts, including the statue of the Roman leader Germanicus, elected as the symbol of the city. The main religious buildings are: the monastery of San Bagno, seat of the cloistered Benedictine nuns, dating back to 1179 and then enlarged several times; the 2-keyboard organ of 1680 stands out, and the Cathedral dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, which houses the relics of Santa Firmina, Patroness of the city, martyred by Diocletian for her evangelization work. A very active cultural center, I find its moment of greatest expression during the historical procession of 24/11, with the suggestive rite of the weight and offering of candles and the palio of doves. Finally, the Amelia Theater, inaugurated in 1783, horseshoe-shaped, 400 seats, was then copied from the Fenice Theater in Venice.