So we’ve finally made it to the motherland. After a brutally long 12+ hour train trip with stops in Bologna and Rome, we find ourselves nestled smack in the center of Italy. The Umbrian region, home to Terni and of course Ternana Calcio, still looks like it has been frozen in time. Harkening us back to the days of rolling countryside villages Umbria is what people think of when Italy pops into their minds. Terni, with a population over 100k, doesn’t necessarily fit the roadside village stereotype, but still offers plenty for the weary traveler who just wants to relax and soak in some nature.
But relaxing is only part of our reason for trekking into the heart of Italy. The trip would be nothing without a stop at the Stadio Libero Liberati to see Ternana Calcio in their first season back in Serie B – after blowing through it’s competition last season to gain much needed promotion. I highly recommend Copa90’s awesome piece on Ternana, it’s working class vibes, and how much the club means to the city. A true blue collar club, Terni is a huge steel producer in Italy, Ternana Calcio is all about the worker. The club and city rallied together to provide everyone in Terni an unforgettable experience during COVID. By providing free TV viewing for the population, the city was able to rally around the club even more emphatically, making it’s promotion to Serie B even more exciting.
Given Atalanta and Bergamo’s connection to hardwork and industrialism, the clubs have been able to forge a bond within the country – molded even stronger instilled by Terni-born legend Riccardo Zampagna being signed by La Dea in the latter years of his career. The Ultras make their allegiance with Atalanta known, frequently flying Atalanta flags and banners amid Ternana’s red and green. Ternana’s goal this year has to be competitive play in Serie B. The club made a brief appearance in Serie A in the 70s, and doesn’t have the firepower now to compete for promotion. But never say never – it would be great to have both Ternana and Atalanta beating up on Brescia in the top tier, but for now we’ll just take Ternana giving it to La Dea’s fiercest rival.
What To Do in Terni?
The landscape surrounding Terni is the perfect place to detox, relax, and get away from it. Similar to Innsbruck in that outdoor activities should dominate your itinerary, the difference between the two is that Terni’s activities aren’t of the upper class variety. Hiking and exploring is what I’m opting for in the surrounding Terni and Umbria area. If you’ve got the time, a trip to Assisi (only 75 kilometers away) has to be on your list. The Basilica di San Francesco is the resting place of Saint Francis of Assisi, and is absolutely worth the pilgrimage regardless of your affiliation to Catholicism.
Back closer to Terni, you would be remised to miss witnessing the manmade natural wonder of the Marmore Falls. The tallest manmade waterfalls in the world at over 165m in elevation drop, the Marmore Falls were built over 2,000 years ago to move stagnant water that were a constant source of disease to the citizens. The falls worked so well, however, that it posed problems to Terni – as it threatened the city with frequent floods. It took until the 1700s for the problem to be truly addressed. Regardless, for me as a water engineer, seeing one of the oldest water diverting technologies is high on my list.
Where To Eat?
Being a smaller city, Terni doesn’t get the accolades on the international cuisine parade – that is not to say there aren’t excellent restaurant to check out. I landed on the delectable Umami, which takes its inspirations from all over Europe. Taking advantage of all types of proteins, Umami is keen on using rarer types of meat including: rabbit, duck, and lamb. Considering I’ve never eaten rabbit, I’d be all over the coniglio and turnips dish (I can taste it now)!
Where To Stay?
I opted to get out of the city, and take a bit of R&R in the highlands surrounding Terni. Vallantica Resort and Spa is a perfect place to take in some country air and even get in some spa time and a round of golf (if either of those float your boat, not really me). The resort even has it’s own winery and restaurant, so there’s literally no need to leave the resort if you want to be a vegetable for a few days (after so much international travel to get to this point).
Bergamo is almost in our view, and spending some time in Terni was a perfect Atalanta-lite preview to whet our appetite. The friendship between our two clubs is strong, making me all the more excited to get to our final destination, and experience what Atalanta and Bergamo are all about! Let’s pack our bags, but not too fast, as some R&R in the countryside sounds fantastic!
