Rieti is the capital of the province of the same name. The city lies along the Velino River, at the foothills of Monte Terminillo. It is the most central city in Italy. If one were to draw two diagonal lines from the four extreme corners of the country, these would intersect at the San Rufo Church in Rieti.
Rieti travel guide
Useful information
Region: Lazio. Province: Rieti. The tourist office of Rieti (APT, in Italian) is located at Via Cintia, 87. Tel. 0746-201146. The town hall is in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele (Tel. 0746-2871). The zip code is 02100 and the area code is 0764.
Train station: There is a direct (very slow) train from Rome, albeit only once a day. It leaves from the Tiburtina station. The station is on the Terni-Sulmona line.
By bus to Rieti: The most convenient way is to take the regional train FL1 from Tiburtina and get off at the Fara Sabina-Montelibretti stop. Here you can change to a Cotral bus.
Tourist attractions
The main church of the city is the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral. Right next to this church is the Palazzo Vescovile, with beautiful cross vaults. Other highlights are the excellently preserved 13th century city walls and the Palazzo Vincentini, built between 1564 and 1593.
The San Rufo Church is the focal point of Italy. Next to this church is a monument commemorating it.
The main square of the city is the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, with the central Dolphin Fountain. The Palazzo Comunale is the seat of the city’s Museo Civico.
Rieti has a beautiful historic center characterized mainly by the presence of a lot of water. For those who want to enjoy a little peace and quiet, it is recommended to take a walk along the river Velino. Despite the rise of industry around Rieti, this stream is still fairly clear and full of picturesque spots.
Of the old Roman city wall there is not much left standing but of the medieval defenses several arches and towers remain.
What is also very interesting is the underground tour, which highlights the history of the city from Roman times to World War II, when the old aqueducts were used as shelters during bombing raids.
A brief history of Rieti
Rieti belonged to the Umbria region until 1923, when it was annexed to the Roma province. In 1927 it was reclassified and the province of Rieti was created, with the capital, of course, being the city itself. It was the last province to be annexed to the Lazio region.
Events and festivals
The Festa del Sole takes place at the end of July and concludes with the Palio della Tinozza, in which a representative of each of the city’s 9 rione’s rows through the Velino River in a kind of bathtub.
How to get to Rieti by car
The old consular road Via Salaria leads directly to Rieti.