Rieti

This article is about the Italian city. For the composer, seeVittorio Rieti.

Not to be confused with theRiettifamily.

Rieti(Italian:[ˈrjɛːti];Latin:Reate,Sabino:Riete) is a town andcomuneinLazio,central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is theadministrative seatof theprovince of Rietiand see of thediocese of Rieti,as well as the modern capital of theSabinaregion.

Rieti
Comune
Comune di Rieti
The city centre of Rieti as seen from San Mauro hill, east of the city. In the background, theRieti valleyenclosed by theSabine mountains;in the foreground, theVelinoriver.
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Rieti
Rieti Location of Rieti in Italy Rieti Rieti (Lazio)
Coordinates:42°24′N12°52′E
Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Province	Rieti(RI)
Frazioni	Case San Benedetto, Casette, Castelfranco, Cerchiara, Chiesa Nuova, Cupaello, Lisciano, Lugnano, Maglianello, Moggio, Piane di Poggio Fidoni, Piani di Sant'Elia, Piè di Moggio, Poggio Fidoni, Poggio Perugino, San Giovanni Reatino, Sant'Elia, Vaiano, Vazia
Government
• Mayor	Daniele Sinibaldi (Fdl)
Area
• Total	206.52 km2(79.74 sq mi)
Elevation	405 m (1,329 ft)
Population (30 April 2008)
• Total	47,745
• Density	230/km2(600/sq mi)
Demonym	Reatini
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	02100
Dialing code	0746
Patron saint	St. Barbara
Saint day	December 4
Website	Official website

The town centre stands on a small hilltop, commanding from the southern edge the wideRieti valley,at the bottom of the Sabine hills and ofmonti Reatini,includingmount Terminillo.The plain was once a large lake, drained by the ancient Romans, and is now the fertile basin of theVelino River.Only the small Ripasottile and Lungo lakes remain of the larger original.

History

Map showing the extension of the ancient lake which once occupied theRieti valley;modern-day rivers and lakes are shown in darker blue

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 byUmbri,then byAboriginesand later on bySabines,who reached the lands sited in the nearby of Tevere river.

Ancient era

Reate was originally a major site of theSabinenation well before the foundation ofRome.According to the legend, whenRomulusfounded Rome, Romans kidnapped Sabine women in order to populate the town (The Rape of the Sabine Women) and this led to a war between Romans and Sabines. Thebattle of the Lacus Curtiuscame 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 andTitus Tatiusrelented 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 finalRomanconquest, carried out byManius Curius Dentatusin 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) that linked Rome to the Adriatic Sea through the Apennines. Many lands of Reate andAmiternumwere 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 (VelinaandQuirina).

Remains of the Roman bridge (3rd century BC)

Curius Dentatus drained a large portion of the lake by diverting the Velino river into theNera(thus giving birth toMarmore Falls). The wide area once occupied by the lake turned into a fertile plain (theRieti 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,for instance, describes the tensions between Reate and Interamna (Terni) following the lake drainage, and refers to the country house (villa) that his friendQ. Axiusowned in the plain.

One of the most important Sabine families that gained success in Rome was theGens Flavia,from which EmperorTitus Flavius Vespasianus(who started the building of theColosseum,also known as the Amphitheatrum Flavium) descended.

The Reatin poet and writerMarcus Terentius Varrowas born in 116 BC and he is usually referred to as the father of Roman erudition.

Middle Ages

The medieval walls

After the fall of theWestern Roman EmpireRieti suffered destruction by Barbarians, but never ceased to be an importantgastaldateduring the Lombard domination, as part of theDuchy of Spoleto.Under the Franks, it was the county capital. It was sacked by theSaracensin the ninth and tenth century and by the Norman kingRoger II of Sicilyin 1149.

The city was rebuilt with the help of theRoman comune,and from 1198 was also a free commune, ofGuelphorientation, with apodestàof its own.

Bell tower ofSt. Mary Cathedral

As a favourite Papal seat, Rieti was the place of important historical events:Constance of Hautevillemarried here by proxyEmperor Henry VI(1185).Charles I of Anjouwas crowned King of Apulia, Sicily and Jerusalem byPope Nicholas IVin 1289.Pope Gregory IXcanonizedSt. Dominicin Rieti (1234).

Moses ben Isaac of Rieti(1388–1467) was a Jewish scholar and physician who authored a two-partDanteanpoem known for its wealth of literary-biographical information, and especially as a primary source for theShalshelet haQabbalahof Gedalya ibn Yihya. This poem was published asSeferMiqdash Meatby Jacob Goldenthal (Vienna 1851).

Late Middle Ages and modern era

After the Papal seat had been moved toAvignon,Rieti was conquered by the King of Naples, while inner struggles betweenGuelphs and Ghibellinesbroke out. In 1354 it was won back byCardinal Albornoz,and it later became a feudal seigneury of the Alfani family within thePapal States.More of the surrounding plain was drained in the following century, but this led to confrontation with the neighboringTerni.

Rieti was province capital of the Papal States from 1816 to 1860. In 1821 theBattle of RietibetweenAustrianforces and southern Italian rebels was fought just outside the city atAntrodoco.After theunification of Italy,it was initially part ofUmbria,being annexed to Lazio in 1923. It became the provincial capital on January 2, 1927.

Climate

Rieti has ahumid temperate climate(Köppen climate classification:Cfb) with cool winters and hot summers, and plentiful precipitation throughout the year.

Climate data for Rieti
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	8 (46)	10 (50)	13 (55)	17 (63)	22 (72)	25 (77)	29 (84)	29 (84)	25 (77)	20 (68)	14 (57)	9 (48)	18 (65)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	1 (34)	0 (32)	2 (36)	5 (41)	8 (46)	11 (52)	13 (55)	13 (55)	11 (52)	7 (45)	4 (39)	1 (34)	6 (43)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	111 (4.4)	110 (4.3)	95 (3.7)	93 (3.7)	75 (3.0)	70 (2.8)	35 (1.4)	55 (2.2)	87 (3.4)	106 (4.2)	171 (6.7)	146 (5.7)	1,154 (45.5)
Source:

Government

See also:List of mayors of Rieti

Main sights

Fontana dei delfini.

Loggiaand gardens ofPalazzo Vincentini.

San Rufochurch, in the square considered the centre of Italy.

St. Augustine church.

Mount Terminilloin summer.

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 (LatinUmbilicus Italiae).

Other sights include:

• Rieti Cathedral:Construction started in 1109 over a pre-existing basilica, was consecrated in 1225 and almost entirely rebuilt in 1639. It has a stunningRomanesquebell 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 aSt. Barbarasculpted byGiannantonio Mari(1657), probably designed byBernini.Antoniazzo Romanocontributed 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.

Vaults of Palazzo Vescovile, also known as the Papal Palace.

• 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 byAntoniazzo Romano,Antonio Canova,Bertel Thorwaldsen.

Palazzo Comunale.

• 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 aPresentation of Christ to the TemplebyGiovanni Battista Gaulli.
• Palazzo Vicentini,attributed toGiuliano 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 centuryGothic-style church restored in the 18th century). The portal has a fresco ofMadonna 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 Childare now in the Diocese Museum and in the Palazzo Vescovile.
• Teatro Flavio Vespasianois the city's theater and opera house, built in the late 19th century.
• Palazzo Vecchiarelli:late Renaissance palace designed byCarlo Maderno.
• Sant'Antonio al Monte:15th century monastery and church
• Santa Chiara
• San Domenico

Also interesting are the sights in the Lake Lungo and Ripasottile Natural Preserve, and the MountTerminillo.

Notable people

TheSanctuary of Fonte Colombo,near Rieti, founded bySaint Francisand part of theCammino di Francescopilgrim way

• Marcus Terentius Varro(116–27 BC),Romanscholar and writer.
• Antonio Gherardi(1638–1702), Italian painter, architect, and sculptor (stuccoist).
• Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni(1657–1743),composer.
• Giuseppe Ferrari(1840–1905),painter.
• Elio Augusto Di Carlo(1918–1998), Italian ornithologist, historian and physician.
• Renzo De Felice(1929–1996),historianofFascism.
• Kobe Bryant(1978-2020), NBA player grew up in Rieti.
• Willie Sojourner(1948-2005), NBA player. Played, coached and died in Rieti.PalaSojourneris named after him.

Twin cities

• Ito,Japan, since 1985
• Saint-Pierre-lès-Elbeuf,Seine-Maritime,Normandy,France, since 2000
• Nordhorn,Lower Saxony, Germany, since 2010

Transportation

Strada statale 4 Via Salaria,the main road link between Rieti andRome,nearPoggio San Lorenzo

Rieti is not crossed by any ofAutostrade of Italy;all roads connecting Rieti with other cities are thereforestate highways(strade statali), in most casessingle carriagewayroads.

The most important road link isstrada statale 4 Via Salaria,which connects Rieti withRomeat south and withAscoli Picenoand theAdriatic Seaat north, just like the ancientVia SalariaRoman road.Other major roads include thestrada statale 79 Ternana,which connects Rieti withTerniand with theOrtegate ofAutostrada A1;strada statale 17,which branches from strada statale 4 inAntrodoco,connects Rieti withL'Aquila;strada statale 578 Salto Cicolana,which connects Rieti withAvezzanoand with theSalto valleygate ofA24andA25autostradas.

Rieti's railway station

Rieti's railway stationis located on the regional, low trafficTerni–Sulmona railway,with trains toTerniandL'Aquila.There is no direct railway link between Rieti andRome,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 theTerni station,where direct trains to Rome can be found.

TheRieti Airportis mainly used by small private planes and forgliding.

Sport

Athleticsvenuestadio Raul Guidobaldi

• Stadio Raul Guidobaldiin Rieti hosts every year since 1971 theRieti Meeting,an internationalathleticsevent known for the many world records settled here, to the point thatSteve Cramdefined Rieti as "aMeccafor middle-distance runners looking for fast times ".Example of these include Jamaican sprinterAsafa Powell,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 untilUsain Boltbroke it on 31 May 2008) and Kenyan runnerDavid Rudisha,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 the2012 Summer Olympicsin London, running a 1:40:91 on August 9, 2012).
• The2013 editionofEuropean Athletics Junior Championshipswere also held at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi.

Basketball match ofNuova AMG SebastianiatPalaSojourner

• Rieti is the base of a strongathleticsmovement, with an average of one athlete every forty inhabitants.Atletica Studentesca Andrea Milardi,formerly known asAtletica Studentesca CARIRI,is the main athletics team and has been the place where many Italian athletes grew up to become part of theItaly national athletics team.Among them isAndrew Howe,born in Los Angeles but grown up in Rieti,Angelo Cipolloni,Patrizia Spuri,Roberto Donati,Lorenzo Valentiniand many others.
• Rieti was home to an importantbasketballteam,AMG Sebastiani,which played in thePalaSojournerarena and won the 1979-80FIBA Korać Cup,whose players includedWillie SojournerandJoe Bryant(who played in Rieti from 1984 to 1986 and then another 5 years in Italy; his sonKobe 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 asNuova AMG Sebastiani,which managed for some years to regain a spot in Italian basketball'sfirst division.
• The biggest football club in Rieti isSerie CteamFC Rieti,which plays at theStadio Centro d'Italia – Manlio Scopigno.FutsalteamReal Rieti Calcio a 5plays in Italy'spremier league.
• Rieti is home to a 9-hole golf course, the "Centre of Italy" golf club.

See also

• Lake of Cutilia

External links

• Official website of the municipality of Rieti(in Italian)
• Rieti's Map
• Rieti Tourist Board