Holiday apartment in Rieti: Nature, culture and Franciscan trails

The routes of the Cammino di San Francesco begin in the city of Rieti. One of them, the Rieti–Fonte Colombo–Greccio route, starts next to the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Rieti on Via Cintia, by the statue of Saint Francis. After about an hour on foot, it reaches the Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo; the Abbey of San Pastore can be visited as a stop along the way.

Nature and water

The Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile Regional Nature Reserve is a distinctive natural area near Rieti and is suitable for birdwatching, especially in winter and during migration. Lago del Salto provides a different landscape setting: it is the largest artificial basin in Lazio. A road can be followed around the lake by car or bicycle, passing through oak and chestnut forests as well as over narrow bridges. At the equipped beaches of Fiumata and Borgo San Pietro, canoes can be rented and wakeboarding is available.

Excursions into the surrounding mountains and to the Monte Navegna e Cervia Nature Reserve also start at Lago del Turano. The part of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park located in Lazio lies mainly in the Province of Rieti. Thus, the surrounding region brings together bodies of water, wooded landscapes, protected areas and mountain panoramas, without reducing its individual landscape areas to a single characteristic.

Trails and mountains

The Cammino di San Francesco is marked with white and red trail markers as well as yellow tau symbols. A more challenging variant leads to the votive temple of Pian Dè Valli on Terminillo. Terminillo also has a cable car leading to the summit, and the mountain is a renowned ski resort. For shorter routes within the city, there is the urban trekking route in Rieti: it is a five-kilometre circular trail lasting three hours.

Water-based activities also include rafting. When rafting, you can travel down the river in an inflatable boat, canoe or SUP; the descent ends in Rieti city centre near the Roman bridge.

Culture and history

The Museo Civico di Rieti is located in the historic city centre and is divided into two sections. Its archaeological section displays numerous artefacts from Rieti and the Sabine territory, dating from prehistory to the Middle Ages. The “Life, Death, Religion” room preserves objects used in daily and religious life from the Iron Age as well as from the Etruscan and Hellenistic periods.

The Flavio Vespasiano Theatre was inaugurated on 20 September 1893 with performances of Pietro Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Gounod’s “Faust”. It is named after the emperor Flavio Vespasiano, who came from the Sabine territory, and follows the layout of a classical Italian theatre with two audience areas, three tiers and a gallery. The Paroniana City Library offers another gateway to the past, with around 140,000 old and modern volumes, including sixteenth-century editions, codices and incunabula. Its local history section collects documents on the history of the city of Rieti and the development of its territory.

The Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo includes the Holy Grotto and the Chapel of Saint Michael. Francis of Assisi came to Fonte Colombo in the summer of 1223 to draft the third and final rule of the order. The history of the bridge over the Velino reaches even further back: its construction helped fortify the section of the Via Salaria within the city after Reate was connected to Rome in 290 BC.

Other places

Other directly linked places include Colli Sul Velino, Labro, Montasola, Monteleone Sabino, Montopoli Di Sabina, Passo Corese, Poggio Catino, Poggio Mirteto, Poggio Sommavilla, Talocci, Tarano, Torricella In Sabina, Varco Sabino, Magliano Sabina, Poggio Nativo, Salisano, Stimigliano, Cantalupo In Sabina, Rieti, Casperia, Torri In Sabina, Misericordia, Configni, San Polo, Castelnuovo Di Farfa, Santa Maria, Poggio Moiano, Fara In Sabina, Greccio, Cottanello, Leonessa, Montebuono, Castel San Pietro, Casaprota, Poggio San Lorenzo, Monte San Giovanni In Sabina, Contigliano, Belmonte In Sabina, Scandriglia, Gavignano Sabino, Forano, Cantalice, Canneto, Roccantica, Cittareale, Amatrice, Cittaducale, Posta, Selci, Accumoli, Fiumata, Orvinio, Casali, Vacone, Colle Di Tora, Micigliano, Pescorocchiano, Nespolo, Limiti Di Greccio, Borgo Velino, Rocca Sinibalda, Castel di Tora, Poggio Bustone, Toffia, Antrodoco, Piedicolle, Roccaranieri, Ornaro, Piano, San Giovanni Reatino, Santa Rufina, Montenero Sabino, Apoleggia, Longone Sabino, Madonna del Mattone, Grotti, Pian De' Valli, Poggio Vittiano, Sellecchia and Collegiove.

To the main travel overview: Lazio.