Rieti (; lat, Reate,
Sabino: ) is a town and ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' in
Lazio
it, Laziale
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, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
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, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the
administrative seat
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of the
province of Rieti
The Province of Rieti ( it, Provincia di Rieti) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rieti. Established in 1927, it has an area of with a total population of 157,887 people as of 2017. There are 73 ''comuni'' ...
and see of the
diocese of Rieti
The Diocese of Rieti ( la, Dioecesis Reatina (-S. Salvatoris Maioris)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. It is immediately exempt to the Holy See.[Sabina Sabina may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions
* Sabina (region), region and place in Italy, and hence:
* the now Suburbicarian Diocese of Sabina (-Poggio Mirteto), Italy
* Magliano Sabina, city, Italy
* Pozzaglia Sabina, city, Italy
*Fara Sab ...]
region.
The town centre stands on a small hilltop, commanding from the southern edge the wide
Rieti valley, at the bottom of the Sabine hills and of
monti Reatini
Monti Reatini is a mountain range in the central Apennines, Italy.The highest peak is the Monte Terminillo
Monte Terminillo is a massif in the Monti Reatini, part of the Abruzzi Apennine range in central Italy. It is located some 20 km ...
, including
mount Terminillo
Monte Terminillo is a massif in the Monti Reatini, part of the Abruzzi Apennine range in central Italy. It is located some 20 km from Rieti and 100 km from Rome and has a highest altitude of .
It is a typical Apennine massif, both fo ...
. The plain was once a large lake, drained by the ancient Romans, and is now the fertile basin of the
Velino River
The Velino is a river in central Italy, a tributary of the Nera. Its source is located on Monte Pozzoni's slopes (1,903 m) near Cittareale. Aftwards it runs through a narrow valley next the Mount Terminillo, known as "Gole del Vento" ("Wind ...
. Only the small Ripasottile and Lungo lakes remain of the larger original.
History
Prehistory
According to the legend, Reate was founded by Rea, a divinity (that would be the origin of the town name). It was founded at the beginning of the Iron Age (9th–8th century BC).
Probably in earlier times the lands around Rieti were inhabited by
Umbri
The Umbri were an Italic people of ancient Italy. A region called Umbria still exists and is now occupied by Italian speakers. It is somewhat smaller than the ancient Umbria.
Most ancient Umbrian cities were settled in the 9th-4th centuries BC on ...
, then by
Aborigines and later on by
Sabines
The Sabines (; lat, Sabini; it, Sabini, all exonyms) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome.
The Sabines divid ...
, who reached the lands sited in the nearby of Tevere river.
Ancient era
Reate was originally a major site of the
Sabine
The Sabines (; lat, Sabini; it, Sabini, all exonyms) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome.
The Sabines divide ...
nation well before the foundation of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. According to the legend, when
Romulus
Romulus () was the legendary foundation of Rome, founder and King of Rome, first king of Ancient Rome, Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus ...
founded Rome, Romans kidnapped Sabine women in order to populate the town (
The Rape of the Sabine Women
The Rape of the Sabine Women ( ), also known as the Abduction of the Sabine Women or the Kidnapping of the Sabine Women, was an incident in Roman mythology in which the men of Rome committed a mass abduction of young women from the other citi ...
) and this led to a war between Romans and Sabines. The
battle of the Lacus Curtius
In Roman mythology, the Battle of the Lacus Curtius was the final battle in the war between the Roman Kingdom and the Sabines following Rome's mass abduction of Sabine women to take as brides. It took place during the reign of Romulus, near ...
came to an end only when the women threw themselves between the armies, begging the men who were by then their relatives to stop fighting. Romulus and
Titus Tatius
According to the Roman foundation myth, Titus Tatius was the king of the Sabines from Cures and joint-ruler of the Kingdom of Rome for several years.
During the reign of Romulus, the first king of Rome, Tatius declared war on Rome in respon ...
relented and a collaboration between the two people started. According to an account more based on history, Sabines settled on the Quirinale because of their continuous need for grazing-lands.
After the final
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
conquest, carried out by
Manius Curius Dentatus
Manius Curius Dentatus (died 270 BC) was a Roman general and statesman noted for ending the Samnite War and for his military exploits during the Pyrrhic War. According to Pliny, he was born with teeth, thus earning the surname Dentatus, "toothed ...
in the early third century BC (290 BC), the village became a strategic point in the early Italian road network, dominating the "salt" track (
Via Salaria
The Via Salaria was an ancient Roman road in Italy.
It eventually ran from Rome (from Porta Salaria of the Aurelian Walls) to ''Castrum Truentinum'' (Porto d'Ascoli) on the Adriatic coast, a distance of 242 km. The road also passed throug ...
) that linked Rome to the Adriatic Sea through the Apennines.
Many lands of Reate and
Amiternum
Amiternum was an ancient Sabine city, then Roman city and later bishopric and Latin Catholic titular see in the central Abruzzo region of modern Italy, located from L'Aquila. Amiternum was the birthplace of the historian Sallust (86 BC).
Histo ...
were confiscated and allocated to Romans. From the outset, Sabines were offered Roman citizenship but without voting rights, until in 268 BC they gained full citizenship, and were incorporated into two new tribes (
Velina and
Quirina).
![Ponte Romano di Rieti - primo piano - 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Ponte_Romano_di_Rieti_-_primo_piano_-_3.jpg)
Curius Dentatus drained a large portion of the lake by diverting the Velino river into the
Nera Nera may refer to:
People
* Nera Smajic (born 1984), Bosnian-born Swedish footballer
* Nera Stipičević (born 1983), Croatian actress
* Nera White (1935–2016), American basketball player
* André António Ribeiro Novais (born 1988), Portugue ...
(thus giving birth to
Marmore Falls
The Cascata delle Marmore () or Marmore Falls is a man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans. Its total height is 165 m (541 feet), making it the tallest man-made waterfall in the world.
It is located 7.7 km from Terni, a pro ...
). The wide area once occupied by the lake turned into a fertile plain (the
Rieti Valley). Following Roman customs, the land was split into characteristic square allotments. The town itself underwent significant development, being re-organised according to typical Roman urban standards (e.g., two crossed roads make up the settlement's backbone), and was fortified with strong walls. A stone bridge was laid across the Velino river, and a large viaduct was built to bring goods from the Via Salaria directly to Rieti's southern gate.
Roman Reate receives a number of mentions in Latin literature, thanks to its flourishing soil, its valued assets, and some peculiarities of the surroundings (such as wandering islands and hollow-subsurfaced fields).
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
, for instance, describes the tensions between Reate and Interamna (
Terni
Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...
) following the lake drainage, and refers to the country house (villa) that his friend
Q. Axius owned in the plain.
One of the most important Sabine families that gained success in Rome was the
Gens Flavia, from which Emperor
Titus Flavius Vespasianus (who started the building of the
Colosseum
The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...
, also known as the Amphitheatrum Flavium) descended.
The Reatin poet and writer
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...
was born in 116 BC and he is usually referred to as the father of Roman erudition.
Middle Ages
![Mura di Rieti, tra porta Conca e porta d'Arci - 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Mura_di_Rieti%2C_tra_porta_Conca_e_porta_d%27Arci_-_04.JPG)
After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire comprised the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court; in particular, this term is used in historiography to describe the period fr ...
Rieti suffered destruction by Barbarians, but never ceased to be an important
gastald
A gastald (Latin ''gastaldus'' or ''castaldus''; Italian ''gastaldo'' or ''guastaldo'') was a Lombard official in charge of some portion of the royal demesne (a gastaldate, ''gastaldia'' or ''castaldia'') with civil, martial, and judicial powers.
...
ate during the Lombard domination, as part of the
Duchy of Spoleto. Under the Franks, it was the county capital. It was sacked by the
Saracens
file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century Germany in the Middle Ages, German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings, to refer ...
in the ninth and tenth century and by the Norman king
Roger II of Sicily in 1149.
The city was rebuilt with the help of the
Roman comune, and from 1198 was also a free commune, of
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
orientation, with a
podestà
Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
of its own.
![Rieti45](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Rieti45.jpg)
As a favourite Papal seat, Rieti was the place of important historical events:
Constance of Hauteville married here by proxy
Emperor Henry VI
Henry VI (German: ''Heinrich VI.''; November 1165 – 28 September 1197), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was King of Germany (King of the Romans) from 1169 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 until his death. From 1194 he was also King of Sic ...
(1185).
Charles I of Anjou was crowned King of Apulia, Sicily and Jerusalem by
Pope Nicholas I in 1289.
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...
canonized
St. Dominic in Rieti (1234).
Late Middle Ages and modern era
After the Papal seat had been moved to
Avignon
Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...
, Rieti was conquered by the King of Naples, while inner struggles between
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...
broke out. In 1354 it was won back by
Cardinal Albornoz
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
, and it later became a feudal seigneury of the Alfani family within the
Papal States
The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
. More of the surrounding plain was drained in the following century, but this led to confrontation with the neighboring
Terni
Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...
.
Rieti was province capital of the Papal States from 1816 to 1860. After the
unification of Italy
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century Political movement, political and social movement that resulted in the Merger (politics), consolidation of List of historic stat ...
, it was initially part of
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
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, ...
, being annexed to Lazio in 1923. It became the provincial capital on January 2, 1927.
Climate
Rieti has a
warm-summer mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
: Csb), which in contrast to most of dry-summer Italy, which mostly has a
hot-summer mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
: Csa).
Government
Main sights
![Terminillo (1917378783)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Terminillo_%281917378783%29.jpg)
The ancient Sabine and Roman city was crowded with buildings, including baths (''thermae''). Only scarce remains were found during excavations in 19th and 20th century: the foundations of a large temple, the stone floor of the main square (forum), walls from private houses, concrete vaults, statues and pottery items. The most striking remains are the stone bridge across the Velino river and the viaduct.
Piazza San Rufo is traditionally considered to be the exact centre of Italy (Latin ''Umbilicus Italiae'').
Other sights include:
*''
Rieti Cathedral
Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabin ...
'': Construction started in 1109 over a pre-existing basilica, was consecrated in 1225 and almost entirely rebuilt in 1639. It has a stunning
Romanesque bell tower from 1252. The entrance portico leads to a 13th-century portal. The interior, on Latin cross plan with one nave and two aisles, has mainly Baroque decorations, including a ''St. Barbara'' sculpted by
Giannantonio Mari (1657), probably designed by
Bernini.
Antoniazzo Romano
Antoniazzo Romano, born Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili (c. 1430 – c. 1510) was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the latter part of the 15th century. He "made a speciality of rep ...
contributed a fresco. It also houses canvases from 16th and 17th centuries. The crypt corresponds to the most ancient part of the church, consecrated in 1157. The Baptistery has an elegant 15th-century baptismal font.
*''Palazzo Vescovile'' ("Bishops Palace" or "Papal Palace"): Construction begun in 1283. Noteworthy are the loggia and eight Renaissance-style windows from 1532. The lower floor is occupied by the so-called "Volte del Vescovado", a great portico with two naves of Gothic arcades. The Grand Hall houses the Diocese Gallery.
![Vescovado 02 (5237721595)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Vescovado_02_%285237721595%29.jpg)
*''Palazzo Comunale'' ("Town Hall", 13th century, rebuilt in the 18th century), facing Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, a square corresponding to the ancient Roman forum. The Palace houses the town museum (
Museo Civico di Rieti) which hosts works by
Antoniazzo Romano
Antoniazzo Romano, born Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili (c. 1430 – c. 1510) was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the latter part of the 15th century. He "made a speciality of rep ...
,
Antonio Canova,
Bertel Thorwaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen (; 19 November 1770 – 24 March 1844) was a Danish and Icelandic sculptor medalist of international fame, who spent most of his life (1797–1838) in Italy. Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a working-class Danish ...
.
![Palazzo Comunale, Rieti - facciata, 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Palazzo_Comunale%2C_Rieti_-_facciata%2C_1.JPG)
*''Palazzo del Governo'', with a noble loggia from 1596.
*''Bishop's Arch'', a bridge built by Boniface VIII.
*
San Pietro Martire - church of St. Peter Martyr (13th century), with luxurious golden Baroque decorations. It has a ''Presentation of Christ to the Temple'' by
Giovanni Battista Gaulli
Giovanni Battista Gaulli (8 May 1639 – 2 April 1709), also known as Baciccio or Baciccia (Genoese nicknames for ''Giovanni Battista''), was an Italian artist working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for his grand ...
.
*''Palazzo Vicentini'', attributed to
Giuliano da Sangallo the Younger.
*Walls of Rieti; Walls date from first half of the 13th century, with characteristical rounded and square towers.
*''Sant'Agostino'': 13th century
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
-style church restored in the 18th century). The portal has a fresco of ''Madonna with Child and Saints Augustine and Nicholas'' (1354) of Sienese school.
*''
San Francesco'': church begun in 1245, radically restored in 1636). The interior has a single nave. The original frescoes from the 14th-15th centuries depicting scenes from the life of St. Francis and the Virgin and Child are now in the Diocese Museum and in the Palazzo Vescovile.
* ''
Teatro Flavio Vespasiano'' is the city's theater and opera house, built in the late 19th century.
*''Palazzo Vecchiarelli'': late Renaissance palace designed by
Carlo Maderno
Carlo Maderno (Maderna) (1556 – 30 January 1629) was an Italian architect, born in today's Ticino, who is remembered as one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. His façades of Santa Susanna, St. Peter's Basilica and Sant'Andrea della Vall ...
.
*''
Sant'Antonio al Monte'': 15th century monastery and church
*
San Domenico
Also interesting are the sights in the Lake Lungo and Ripasottile Natural Preserve, and the Mount
Terminillo
Monte Terminillo is a massif in the Monti Reatini, part of the Abruzzi Apennine range in central Italy. It is located some 20 km from Rieti and 100 km from Rome and has a highest altitude of .
It is a typical Apennine massif, both fo ...
.
Notable people
![20090715 Fonte Colombo 006 (3905603194)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/20090715_Fonte_Colombo_006_%283905603194%29.jpg)
*
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...
(116–27 BC),
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
scholar and writer.
*
Antonio Gherardi
Antonio Gherardi (''Il Reatino'') (20 September 1638 – 10 May 1702) was an Italian painter, architect, and sculptor (stuccoist) of the Baroque style, active mainly in and near Rome and his native city of Rieti.
Life
Antonio was born in Riet ...
(1638–1702) Italian painter, architect, and sculptor (stuccoist).
*
Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni (1657–1743),
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
.
*
Giuseppe Ferrari (1840–1905),
painter.
*
Elio Augusto Di Carlo
Elio Augusto Di Carlo (2 September 1918, Amatrice, Italy – 27 July 1998, Cantalupo in Sabina, Italy), was an Italian ornithologist, historian and physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English) ...
(1918–1998) Italian ornithologist, historian and physician.
*
Renzo De Felice
Renzo De Felice (8 April 1929 – 25 May 1996) was an Italian historian, who specialized in the Fascist era, writing, among other works, a 6000-page biography of Mussolini (4 volumes, 1965–1997). He argued that Mussolini was a revolutionary m ...
(1929–1996),
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
of
Fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
.
*
Kobe Bryant NBA player grew up in Rieti.
*
Willie Sojourner
Willard Leon Sojourner (September 10, 1948 – October 20, 2005) was an American collegiate and professional basketball player and international coach. He played collegiately at Weber State University and went on to a professional career, win ...
(1948-2005). NBA player. Played, coached and died in Rieti.
PalaSojourner is named after him.
Twin cities
*
Ito
Ito may refer to:
Places
* Ito Island, an island of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
* Ito Airport, an airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Ito District, Wakayama, a district located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
* Itō, Shizuo ...
, Japan, since 1985
*
Saint-Pierre-lès-Elbeuf, Seine-Maritime,
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, France, since 2000
*
Nordhorn
Nordhorn ( Northern Low Saxon: ''Nothoorn'' (or ''Notthoarn'', ''Netthoarn'' and ''Noordhoorn'')) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the district seat of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony's southwesternmost corner near the border with the ...
, Lower Saxony, Germany, since 2010
Transportation
![Strada Statale 4 Via Salaria - km 58 (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Strada_Statale_4_Via_Salaria_-_km_58_%282%29.JPG)
Rieti is not crossed by any of
Autostrade of Italy
The Autostrade (; singular ) are roads forming the Italian national system of motorways. The total length of the system is about . In North and Central Italy, the Autostrade mainly consists of tollways managed by Autostrade per l'Italia, a ho ...
; all roads connecting Rieti with other cities are therefore
state highways
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
(''strade statali''), in most cases
single carriageway
A single carriageway (British English) or Undivided highway (American English) is a road with one, two or more lanes arranged within a one carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. A single-track road has a s ...
roads.
The most important road link is
strada statale 4 Via Salaria, which connects Rieti with
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
at south and with
Ascoli Piceno and the
Adriatic sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
at north, just like the ancient
Via Salaria
The Via Salaria was an ancient Roman road in Italy.
It eventually ran from Rome (from Porta Salaria of the Aurelian Walls) to ''Castrum Truentinum'' (Porto d'Ascoli) on the Adriatic coast, a distance of 242 km. The road also passed throug ...
Roman road
Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...
. Other major roads include the
strada statale 79 Ternana, which connects Rieti with
Terni
Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...
and with the
Orte
Orte is a town, ''comune'', former Catholic bishopric and Latin titular see in the province of Viterbo, in the central Italian region of Lazio, located about north of Rome and about east of Viterbo.
Geography
Orte is situated in the Tiber vall ...
gate of
Autostrada A1;
strada statale 17, which branches from strada statale 4 in
Antrodoco, connects Rieti with
L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
;
strada statale 578 Salto Cicolana, which connects Rieti with
Avezzano and with the ''Salto valley'' gate of
A24
A24 is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. It is based in New York City.
A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges. Pr ...
and
A25 autostradas.
Rieti's railway station is located on the regional, low traffic
Terni–Sulmona railway
The Terni–Sulmona railway is a regional railway line in central Italy, managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. It links three regions, Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo, and three provincial capitals: Terni, Rieti and L'Aquila. Together with the Sulmon ...
, with trains to
Terni
Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...
and
L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
. There is no direct railway link between Rieti and
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, as the construction of such railway has been subject of a long debate but never took place; Rome can be reached by bus or by catching a train to the
Terni station, where direct trains to Rome can be found.
The
Rieti Airport
Rieti Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Rieti, ) is an aerodrome located northwest of Rieti, a city in the Lazio region in Italy. It is also known as G. Ciuffelli Airport.
The aerodrome is operated by the Ministry of Transport and Navigation (Italy), M ...
is mainly used by small private planes and for
gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...
.
Sport
![Stadio Raul Guidobaldi, Rieti - tribuna Velino 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Stadio_Raul_Guidobaldi%2C_Rieti_-_tribuna_Velino_01.JPG)
*
Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti hosts every year since 1971 the
Rieti Meeting The Rieti Meeting is an annual athletics event at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti, Italy that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF World Challenge.
It was fi ...
, an international
athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
event known for the many world records settled here, to the point that
Steve Cram defined Rieti as "a
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
for middle-distance runners looking for fast times". Example of these include Jamaican sprinter
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell, CD (born 23 November 1982) is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres. He set the 100 metres world record twice, between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. Powell has consiste ...
, who ran the then world record time of 9.74 s in the 100 meters at the Rieti meeting on September 9, 2007 (the record stood until
Usain Bolt
Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay.
An eight- ...
broke it on 31 May 2008) and Kenyan runner
David Rudisha
David Lekuta Rudisha, MBS (born 17 December 1988) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres. He is a two-time back-to-back Olympic champion from the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, a two-time World champion from t ...
, who ran a world record time of 1:41.01 in the 800 meters at the Rieti meeting on August 29, 2010 (the record stood until Rudisha beat his own mark at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in London, running a 1:40:91 on August 9, 2012).
* The
2013 edition of
European Athletics Junior Championships
The European Athletics U20 Championships (formerly named the European Athletics Junior Championships up to 2015) are the European championships for athletes who are under-20 athletes, which is the age range recognised by World Athletics as jun ...
were also held at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi.
![PalaSojournerRIETI-NSB-MPS0003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/PalaSojournerRIETI-NSB-MPS0003.jpg)
* Rieti is the base of a strong
athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
movement, with an average of one athlete every forty inhabitants.
Atletica Studentesca Andrea Milardi, formerly known as ''Atletica Studentesca CARIRI'', is the main athletics team and has been the place where many Italian athletes grew up to become part of the
Italy national athletics team
The Italy national athletics team represents Italy at the international athletics competitions such as Olympic Games or world athletics championships.
Medal count
When there is updated to 31 January 2022.
Caps
Updated at the 2013 Mediterra ...
. Among them is
Andrew Howe
Andrew Howe (born 12 May 1985) is an American-born Italian athlete who specializes in the long jump and sprinting. He won this event as well as the 200 metres at the 2004 World Junior Championships. He was successful at senior level at a young ...
, born in Los Angeles but grown up in Rieti,
Andrew Howe
by Giorgio Dell'Arti and Massimo Parrini, in ''Catalogo dei viventi 2009'', Marsilio publishing house. Angelo Cipolloni, Patrizia Spuri
Patrizia Spuri (born 18 February 1973 in Fara in Sabina) is an Italian former sprinter (400 m) and middle distance runner (800 m).
In her career she won 9 times the national championships. She's the wife of the triple jumper Fabrizio Donato.
...
, Roberto Donati
Roberto Donati (born March 15, 1983 in Rieti) is an Italian sprinter.
Biography
Roberto Donati won two medals at the International athletics competitions, all of these with national relays team. He has 4 caps in national team from 2009 to 2010 ...
, Lorenzo Valentini
Lorenzo Valentini (born 13 April 1991) is an Italian Sprint (athletics), sprinter, specialized in the 400 metres.
Biography
Lorenzo Valentini won a medal at the 2013 Mediterranean Games.
Achievements
National titles
He has won 2 times the indi ...
and many others.
* Rieti was home to an important basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team, AMG Sebastiani, which played in the PalaSojourner arena and won the 1979-80 FIBA Korać Cup
The FIBA Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971–72 and 2001–02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the FIBA European Champions' Cup (later renamed th ...
, whose players included Willie Sojourner
Willard Leon Sojourner (September 10, 1948 – October 20, 2005) was an American collegiate and professional basketball player and international coach. He played collegiately at Weber State University and went on to a professional career, win ...
and Joe Bryant
Joseph Washington Bryant (born October 19, 1954), nicknamed "Jellybean", is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets of the National Basketball As ...
(who played in Rieti from 1984 to 1986 and then another 5 years in Italy; his son Kobe Bryant, who also became an NBA player, attended school in Rieti and as a result spoke fluent Italian.). After the dissolution of AMG Sebastiani, newer teams were formed such as Nuova AMG Sebastiani, which managed for some years to regain a spot in Italian basketball's first division.
* The biggest football club in Rieti is Serie C
The Serie C () is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that runs the Serie C.
The unification of the Lega Pro ...
team FC Rieti
Football Club Rieti, commonly known as FC Rieti or simply Rieti, was an Italian association football club, based in Rieti, Lazio. The club last competed in Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian football, playing home matches at the Stadio Centro ...
, which plays at the Stadio Centro d'Italia – Manlio Scopigno. Futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hardcourt, hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and Indoor soccer, indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players ...
team Real Rieti Calcio a 5
Real Rieti Calcio a 5 is a futsal club based in Rieti, Lazio, Italy.
Players and coaches
Famous players
* Michele Miarelli
* Marcio Forte
* Massimo De Luca
* Diego Giustozzi
Diego Raul Giustozzi (born 1 August ...
plays in Italy's premier league
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
.
* Rieti is home to a 9-hole golf course, the "Centre of Italy" golf club.
See also
*Lake of Cutilia
Lacus Cutiliensis (Lake of Cutilia) is the ancient Roman name of the modern Lago di Paterno in the municipality of Castel Sant'Angelo, near the ancient Reate, now Rieti. In antiquity it was sacred to the Sabines. Varro, who came from Reate, call ...
References
External links
Official website of the municipality of Rieti
Rieti's Map
Rieti Tourist Board
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Lazio
Roman sites in Lazio