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| RIETI: THE CENTER
OF ITALY |
When in Rieti, you will be surprised by both vegetable and flower
gardens that are tucked between ancient buildings and monuments. |
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A very ancient tradition maintains that Rieti is the center of Italy. It was
the writer, Marco Terenzio Varrone (116 –27 B.C.) who mentioned that
the Rieti Valley was the center of the peninsular.
Rieti is situated at the foot of Mount Terminillo, along the valley marked by
the Velino River. Rieti had been first a Roman possession, later, Papal residence,
and its historic center has an impressive and monumental XIIth century city
wall enclosing it. |
Walking through Rieti’s streets and squares means
to place oneself in history and art. City Hall building,
in Vittorio Emanuele II Square, was originally built
in the XIII century and rebuilt in the XVII century.
The Cathedral, with its Romanesque bell tower and portico
from 1458, has admirable works of art.
Noble palaces make the city center even more precious,
as does the Vecchiarelli Palace, done by Carlo Maderno,
and the Prefettura Palace, decorated with a splendid
loggia from the Vignola school, overlooking the lower
part of the historic city center.
One of the cultural symbols of the city is the Flavio Vespasian
Theatre, a little acoustical jewel, the dome of which is fully
painted depicting the triumphal entry of Vespasian and Tito after
having conquered Jerusalem.
The streets of the center also host the remains of the Roman
bridge, lying on the bed of the Velino River. Symbol of the townspeople’s
history and life, this river’s limpid waters and balanced
ecosystem represent a true natural jewel in the heart of the
city’s residential area.
The city still continues today to be enriched with monuments
and treasures such as the Monument to the Lira unveiled in 2003
and already become a tourist site.
In order to discover this small but great city…be guided
by our Routes in Rieti: the Center of Italy.
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