Terni

Barbara, I'm not sure which books will cover Terni, as it's a bit "off the radar" as a tourist destination? The only town in that area that seems to be covered by the RS books is Orvieto. I had a look at the contents of the Lonely Planet book, and while they did have a section on Umbria, I didn't see any listings for Terni. One possibility you could check is the Cadogan Guide Italy, 4th edition. The index contains a listing for Terni on pages 739, 741, 742. It's available at Amazon.com but unfortunately the new copy is priced at $104.11 (seems a bit "steep" for a Guidebook). One other thing to note with these is that the most recent publication date I could see was 2004, so the material in these books may be a bit "dated". Good luck and happy travels!

From Terni you can visit most locations in Umbria and Lazio as a day trip. Most are within about 1 hour to 90 min by car. Any guide that includes central Italy would do. Terni is famous for being an industrial (steel and chemical industry) town. The most famous feature right outside Terni is the Marmore waterfall which is visible on Sundays (I think they still divert the water to the power plant on weekdays). But other more touristically famous Umbrian historic Towns are close enough and well connected by freeway.

The main attraction about Terni is that it's a transportation hub for other cities, although its own history is interesting (St. Valentine and St. Francis both have some connections here, and there are Roman ruins). Most guidebooks don't do the area justice. The town of Rieti is nearby, and you can get to the Gran Sasso d'Italia if you have a car. Todi, Spoleto, Orvieto, Viterbo are also within reach. Try the Discover Italy website for more info (link would not post, just google).

We use the "Rough Guide to Tuscany and Umbria" when staying in the area. http://www.roughguides.com/website/shop/products/Tuscany-and-Umbria.aspx