ERG donates a "piece of history" to Narni

ERG has donated the Netti mill to the Municipality of Narni. Located in Stifone just beyond the bridge over the River Nera, the water mill is an important historical site for the residents of Narni. It bears testament to a glorious memory, when in the late 1800s Narni became the first town in Italy to have a "Municipal Electrical Plant", thanks to the work of the young engineer Aldo Netti.

Coming from a family of millers, having graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering from Milan Polytechnic University, where he saw the Edison machines of the Radegonga power plant at work, Aldo Netti returned to Stifone intent on putting his academic knowledge into practice.

The family mill became the cornerstone of his experiments. By attaching a machine to the blades of the mill, Netti was able to generate electricity, powering the street lights to brighten the nights in Stifone and, after installing a complex system of power lines, Narni. Netti's engineering career went from strength to strength: he became the owner of a number of power plants and created electricity grids, while his mill continued to work during the day to grind flours and to power the lights of Narni each night. Having taken possession of this historic structure with the acquisition of the Terni hydroelectric plant, ERG has decided to donate it to the Municipality of Narni according to a free property transfer deed signed today in the Municipal Council hall.

"From today, the building in Stifone, so important to the region of Narni and a key part of Italy's industrial past, has been given back to the Municipality," commented Giancarlo Bellina, Head of Thermo & Hydro Operations of ERG,  after the signing of the agreement. "Aldo Netti's story will be able to inspire young people across Europe to draw new moral and intellectual energy from his example.

Our presence in this evocative place, so steeped in history, is a tangible sign of how ERG interprets its role as an industrial operator, combining economic growth, respect for the environment and a focus on the region and its culture". The renovated Mill, which is part of the Nera Gorges tourist trail, will soon become an important information centre for this rediscovered area. Visitors will be welcomed by a Visitor Centre and teaching rooms equipped with multimedia facilities designed to receive visitors and school groups, and will lay the foundations for the much-awaited regeneration of the ancient village of Stifone.