Orvinio
Welcome to the Province of Rieti: Its Geography and History
Hello everyone! Today, I want to talk to you about the Province of Rieti, located in the Lazio region and comprising a total of 73 municipalities. The province has a population of 150,298 and is divided into different geographical zones.
Physical Geography
The Province of Rieti borders neighbouring provinces such as Viterbo, Rome, Perugia, Terni, Ascoli Piceno and L'Aquila. The terrain is predominantly mountainous and rich in natural beauty. The Sabini Mountains and the Reatini Mountains are located to the west and north and form the borders with Umbria. Mount Terminillo, at 2217 metres above sea level, is the main mountain. Other mountain ranges include the Monti della Laga (2458 m), the Monte Nuria and Monte Giano group, the Monti Carseolani, the Monti del Cicolano and the Monti della Duchessa towards the Abruzzo borders. The Reatina plain is the main plain. The hilly part includes the low Sabina to the southwest at the borders with the Province of Rome.
The Province of Rieti is famous for two artificial lakes: Lake Salto and Lake Turano. Both were created in the 1920s during the Fascist era. Lake Salto is located in the Salto Valley belonging to the Cicolano area, while Lake Turano is situated in the low Sabina and Scandarello, near Amatrice.
Hydrography
The Province of Rieti is crossed by numerous rivers, including the Tiber, the Velino, the Salto, the Turano, the sources of the Peschiera River, the Farfa, the Aia, the Apa, and the Corno. There are also several lagoons, including Lake Salto, Lake Turano, Lake Rascino, Lake Monti della Duchessa, Lake Scandarello, Lake Paterno, Lake Lungo (Lazio) or Cantalice, Lake Ripasottile, and Lake Ventina.
The History of the Province of Rieti
The Province of Rieti was established by the Fascist government in 1927, along with another 16 Italian provinces. It was an attempt to reunite the ancient Sabina region, which takes its name from the Sabines, one of the Osco-Umbrian populations. The province was formed by combining the territory of the Rieti district with the territory of the former Cittaducale district, which was part of the Province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo.
In post-World War II Italy, there was a debate on whether to maintain the provincial subdivisions made by the Fascist regime. The Province of L'Aquila, in the Constituent Assembly, requested to have back the former Cittaducale district. In any case, the new Province of Rieti was supposed to be "Tota Sabina Civitas", a single united and concordant community among the previously divided territories.
And so, today the Province of Rieti is here, proud of its culture and history. If you have the opportunity to visit these areas, I recommend you to see the natural beauties we talked about, as well as the various historical centres in the area, where you will appreciate the beauty of this Italian territory. Thank you for reading this brief summary!
