Rieti - the ancient capital of Sabina

Located in the central Italy in the commune of Lazio, Reiti is the capital of Rieti Province and a sleepy town with a population of just 47,000.
Apart from the historical sites of tourist interest, the mainstay of Reiti is its unperturbed natural beauty. As the city lies along the slopes of the Sabini and the Reatini mountains, the city is surrounded by the majestic ranges that create a breathtaking ambience. This also means that the city is the starting point of a number of excursions and some of the most sought after treks to a territory that is not only in castles and fortresses, Franciscan sanctuaries, and remains of the bygone era, but also some really captivating natural treasures. Some of these gems include the Riserva Naturale dei Laghi Reatini or the Reatini Lakes Nature Reserve, Lake Lungo and Lake Ripasottile, and a wide variety of flora and fauna, innumerable species of birds, herons and the little grebes.

The main attractions of the city include the downtown area of the town, which is the ancient part and is stuffed with ancient buildings and monuments, statues, monuments, baths and pavements that will take you back to the medieval era.

The main attractions include Piazza San Rufo, the Cathedral with a spectacular Rommanesque bell tower, the Palazzo Vescovile, the Palazzo Comunale or the Town Hall, Palazzo del Governo, Bishop's Arch, church of St. Peter Martyr, Palazzo Vicentini, the City Walls, which date from the early 13th century with the cutomary rounded and square towers, the Gothic church of Sant'Agostino, Santa Maria in Vescovio, the church of St. Francis, the late Renaissance Palazzo Vecchiarelli, Piazza Cesare Battisti Cathedral, and the likes.

Hence, the city has a two pronged attraction for the tourists. It has a lot for those who are interested in history. Some of the lanes and by lanes, the streets and pavements, the walkways and the alleys, especially of the old part of the city have been preserved almost in the medieval form. This has helped the city to retain its age old look and feel and this takes the tourists back to the medieval era. The buildings and monuments, with their ancient getup, have added to that age old charm that seems to have been untouched by the passage of time.

For those who are keen to get the glimpse of nature at its best, the city and its adjoining areas have a lot to offer. The almost virgin and untouched beauty of nature, the surroundings, the hills and mountains, the valley, the greenery, the flora and fauna, the wildlife – all have combined with each other to come up in a most surreal form of beauty that takes a lover of nature on cloud nine.

Getting to the city is quite easy. One can hire a car from Rome and get to the city at ease by taking the A1 Firenze-Roma highway. Bus service is also available from the Tiburtina Railway Station in Rome that ferries passengers to Rieti. Comparatively, visiting Rieti by train is a bit complicated as one has to avail a train from the main station of Rome.