Rieti: Accommodation for a Ski Holiday, Terminillo and Culture

Terminillo is home to a renowned ski resort. A cable car leads to the summit. Terminillo is also the destination of a more demanding variant of the Way of St. Francis, which leads to the votive temple of Pian Dè Valli.

Nature

Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile is a regional nature reserve. The area is suitable for birdwatching, especially in winter and during migration. The part of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park located in Lazio is mainly situated in the Province of Rieti.

Lago del Salto is the largest artificial basin in Lazio. The lake can be circumnavigated by car or bicycle on a road that passes through oak and chestnut forests and over narrow bridges. The equipped beaches of Fiumata and Borgo San Pietro on Lago del Salto offer canoe rental and wakeboarding. Excursions into the surrounding mountains and to the Monte Navegna e Cervia nature reserve start from Lago del Turano.

Trails

The routes of the Way of St. Francis begin in the city of Rieti. The trail is marked with white-and-red waymarkers and yellow Tau signs. The Rieti–Fonte Colombo–Greccio route begins next to the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Rieti, on Via Cintia beside the statue of St. Francis. After about an hour of walking, it reaches the Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo; along the way, San Pastore Abbey can be visited as a stopover.

Rieti also has an urban trekking route, a five-kilometre circular trail lasting three hours. Rafting involves descending the river in an inflatable boat, canoe or SUP. The rafting descent ends in Rieti city centre near the Roman bridge.

Culture

The Museo Civico di Rieti is located in the historic city centre and is divided into two sections. The 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 for everyday and religious use 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 Emperor Flavio Vespasiano, who came from the Sabine territory. Its design follows that of a classical Italian theatre, with two audience areas, three tiers and a gallery.

The Paroniana City Library holds around 140,000 old and modern volumes, including 16th-century editions, codices and incunabula. Its local history section collects documents on the history of the city of Rieti and the development of its surrounding area.

The Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo includes the Sacred Grotto and the Chapel of St. Michael. Francis of Assisi came to Fonte Colombo in the summer of 1223 to draft the third and final Rule of the Order. The city’s historical development is also connected with the Via Salaria: after Reate was connected with Rome in 290 BC, the construction of the bridge over the Velino helped consolidate the inner-city section of the Via Salaria.

Other destinations: Leonessa, Cantalice, Belmonte In Sabina, Rieti, Rome, Frosinone.

To the higher-level travel overview: Lazio.