Holiday apartment in San Gemini: culture, mosaics and the Monti Martani

Church art, Roman floor mosaics, an interactive Geolab, hiking trails in the Monti Martani and a jousting tournament between two rival districts offer different ways to experience the town.

Holiday apartment in San Gemini: culture and unique experiences

The Giostra dell'Arme is a jousting tournament featuring six riders from the two rival districts, Rione Rocca and Rione Piazza. Over three rounds, a lance, a 4 cm ring and a coat of arms target are used. During the Giostra dell'Arme, traditional local dishes are served in the taverns, including Picchiarelli, pizza sotto lu focu and grilled meat.

Church art from the Middle Ages to the modern era

The Chiesa di San Francesco has a single-nave interior in the Gothic style. It also contains frescoes from the 15th and 17th centuries, as well as a particularly valuable wooden crucifix from the 15th century. The Chiesa di Santo Gemine houses an urn containing relics attributed to Santo Gemine. Santo Gemine is the patron saint of the town; the relics were found in 1775 in a walled-up niche next to the sacristy. The Chiesa di San Carlo has a 14th-century ciborium with the painting “Madonna and Child between Saints and Angels” by a follower of Boccati.

Rione Rocca and historical evidence

The Museo dell'Opera di Guido Calori is located in the third cloister of the former convent of the Poor Clares in Rione Rocca. Rione Rocca is the highest part of the town. For many centuries, the Palazzo Vecchio o Pretorio was the seat of San Gemini's municipal government, headed by a podestà. It is an example of Gothic architecture with picturesque historical evidence. The Abbazia di San Nicolò preserves a fresco from 1295 by the master Rogerino da Todi in its apse.

Roman traces and archaeological impressions

The Roman floor mosaics in the old town were uncovered in a private house, revealing an atrium with an impluvium and several rooms with geometric floor mosaics dating from the 1st century AD. The smaller mosaic consists of black and white tesserae, while the larger one is made of tesserae in various colors. Free parking for cars and coaches is available at Carsulae; the parking areas are about 300 meters from the visitor center and the archaeological site.

Geosciences and trails in the Monti Martani

The Geolab offers a different way to explore the area. Its permanent exhibition presents geosciences and uses interactive devices to guide visitors in observation and scientific experiments. The Monti Martani area is connected by a selection of hiking trails of varying difficulty; the trailheads are easily accessible from the town of San Gemini.

Discover more destinations

If you would like to expand your selection, you can find more destinations here: Fabro Scalo, Narni Scalo, Montegabbione, Benano, Giove, Monterubiaglio, Montoro, Porano.

Return to the main travel overview: Terni.