Nepi (anciently ''Nepet'' or ''Nepete'') is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' in the

province of Viterbo Viterbo ( it, provincia di Viterbo) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Viterbo. Geography Viterbo is the most northerly of the provinces of Lazio. It is bordered to the south by the Metropolitan City of Rome ...

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, central

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The town lies southeast of the city of

Viterbo Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history ...

and about southwest from

Civita Castellana Civita Castellana is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Viterbo, north of Rome. Mount Soracte lies about to the south-east. History Civita Castellana was settled during the Iron Age by the Italic people of the Falisci, who called it "F ...

. The town is known for its mineral springs, sold and bottled under the ''Acqua di Nepi'' brand throughout Italy.

History

The region was already occupied in the 8th century BC; neighbouring Pizzo had been occupied in the Bronze Age. Nepet became

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

before 386 BC, when

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

speaks of it and

Sutrium Sutri (Latin ''Sutrium'') is an Ancient town, modern ''comune'' and former bishopric (now a Latin titular see) in the province of Viterbo, about from Rome and about south of Viterbo. It is picturesquely situated on a narrow tuff hill, surrounded ...

as the keys of Etruria. In that year it was surrendered to the Etruscans and recovered by the Romans, who beheaded the authors of its surrender. It became a colony in 383 BC. It was among the twelve Latin colonies that refused further help to Rome in 209 BC. After the Social War it became a municipium. It is hardly mentioned in Imperial times, except as a station on the road (

Via Amerina The ''Via Cassia'' ("way of Cassius") was an important Roman road striking out of the '' Via Flaminia'' near the Milvian Bridge in the immediate vicinity of Rome and, passing not far from Veii, traversed Etruria. The ''Via Cassia'' passed thr ...

) which diverged from the

Via Cassia The ''Via Cassia'' ("way of Cassius") was an important Roman road striking out of the ''Via Flaminia'' near the Milvian Bridge in the immediate vicinity of Rome and, passing not far from Veii, traversed Etruria. The ''Via Cassia'' passed through ...

near the modern Settevene and ran to Amelia and

Todi Todi () is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) of the province of Perugia (region of Umbria) in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction. I ...

. In the 8th century AD it was the seat of a duchy for a short while. During the late 9th to early 10th century, it was, along with much of central Italy, threatened by the Saracens. Reported origin of the

catnip ''Nepeta cataria'', commonly known as catnip, catswort, catwort, and catmint, is a species of the genus '' Nepeta'' in the family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of China. It is widely ...

plant (Nepeta cataria).

Main sights

Borgia Castle The Castello Borgia (also Borgia Castle or Rocca di Nepi) is a 16th-century castle in Nepi, in province of Viterbo, Italy originally refurbished for Lucrezia Borgia. The castle features a large square piazza surrounded by walls on all sides and c ...

, a 15th-century reconstruction of a feudal manor. It has massive walls and four towers, one of which can be visited, and was once the property of Lucrezia Borgia. * Cathedral of the ''Assunta'', built in the 12th century over a pagan temple. It was rebuilt in 1831 after French troops set it on fire during the Napoleonic Wars. Of the ancient structure only the crypt remains, which includes a primitive pagan altar. * Town hall, designed by

Antonio da Sangallo the Younger 250px, A model of the Apostolic Palace, which was the main project of Bramante during Sangallo's apprenticeship. 250px, The church of Santa Maria di Loreto near the Rome.html"_;"title="Trajan's_Market_in_Rome">Trajan's_Market_in_Rome. image: ...

in the 15th century, was finally completed in the 18th. The base was of stone, embellished by a porch, and the upper part had windows and a balcony with a bell-tower. Immediately in front is a fountain presumed to have been designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Inside, an archaeological museum contains locally-found items. *

Santa Savinilla Catacombs Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

(800 B.C.) * San Pietro church *

San Rocco Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...

plague church

References

Sources

*di Gennaro, F., Cerasuolo, O., Colonna, C., Rajala, U., Stoddart, S. K. F. and Whitehead, N. 2002. "Recent research on the city and territory of Nepi." ''Papers of the British School at Rome ''70: 29-77. *Edwards, C., Malone, C. A. T. and Stoddart, S. K. F. 1995. "Reconstructing a gateway city: the place of Nepi in the study of south-eastern Etruria. "In Christie, N. (ed), ''Settlement and economy in Italy. 1500 BC - AD 1500''. Oxbow monograph 41. Oxford, Oxbow Books, pp. 431–440
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lazio Castles in Italy